122: Chapter 122 Divergence

A slightly raspy voice...

...yet exceptionally clear.

It caused True Master Yun He's mid-air step to freeze and instantly focused every gaze in the hall upon the speaker.

The Second Elder of the Xuanyun Sect—Master Yunshan.

Master Yunshan had hair and a beard as white as snow and a lean, refined face; he usually wore a gentle smile.

But at this moment...

...his expression was grave, and his eyes held an unquestionable persistence.

"Sect Master, the Tianji Sect... must not be approached lightly."

He rose slowly, his gaze sweeping across everyone present before finally fixing on True Master Yun He's face.

"It is not that I doubt the Sect Master's desire to save our Disciples, but this matter is of too great a consequence. Regarding the methods of the Tianji Sect, have you all forgotten the fate of the 'Tianlei Sect'?"

As soon as the words 'Tianlei Sect' were uttered, the atmosphere in the hall turned abruptly frigid.

Everyone present knew the story.

Back then, the Tianlei Sect's strength was likely much greater than that of the Xuanyun Sect.

Simply because they became involved with the Tianji Sect, they were tainted by Karma, leading to the direct erasure of such a massive Sect!

"Sect Master, I know you care deeply for the Disciples. However, those missing are merely a hundred or so young Disciples; although there are elites among them, our Xuanyun Sect has a Legacy spanning hundreds of thousands of years, a deep Foundation, and talented people emerging in every generation."

"Even if this group of Disciples has truly met with misfortune, while it is certainly a huge loss for our Sect, it is by no means enough to shake our Sect's very roots!"

"In due time, within a hundred years, a new generation of Prodigies will naturally rise."

His gaze swept over several Elders who showed signs of agreement as he spoke in an even deeper voice.

"But if we are tainted by unpredictable Karma because of this... that price might be something our entire Xuanyun Sect cannot bear!"

"To stake a Legacy of hundreds of thousands of years and the lives of tens of thousands of members for the sake of a hundred Disciples—is this wager not a bit too large?"

These words were perfectly reasonable.

The eyes of many Elders and deacons who were originally neutral or afraid to speak up began to flicker with uncertainty.

Indeed.

Disciples can be trained again, but if the Sect falls, then everything is gone.

Having Cultivated to their Realm, who among them hadn't gone through thousands of hardships? Who didn't seek a stable path to longevity?

Was it worth it for a group of insignificant Disciples?

As long as one wasn't a fool...

...everyone knew which choice to make!

"The Second Elder is absolutely right!"

A cold-faced old man in black robes spoke up in agreement.

"Sect Master, this matter requires further deliberation. Finding the Disciples is important, but the Sect's safety is more fundamental; we don't necessarily have to take the dangerous path of the Tianji Sect."

"Correct!"

"I also feel this is inappropriate. Heavenly secrets are unpredictable, and Karma is difficult to untangle. A hundred Disciples are a pity, but... Sect Master, please discern which is more important."

"I concur."

"I also feel the Second Elder's considerations are more thorough."

In an instant...

...more than a third of the Elders and deacons explicitly expressed support for the Second Elder's opinion.

As for the remaining people, most showed hesitation and remained silent.

Only a handful of people still supported True Master Yun He, and they were all Elders or deacons with close ties to the missing Disciples.

True Master Yun He stood before the main seat, his expression shifting.

His knuckles turned slightly white from the force of clenching his hands behind his back.

Although anger churned in his heart, he had to force it down.

How could he not understand the stakes involved?

As the Sect Master, he knew the details of the Tianlei Sect's downfall better than anyone present.

But...

His gaze seemed to penetrate the dome of the hall, looking toward an unknown distance.

The others didn't know.

The missing Inner Sect Eldest Senior Brother, Lin Xiao—that young man everyone held high hopes for—was ostensibly the son of the Third Elder.

But in reality...

...he was the flesh and blood of True Master Yun He!

One had to understand.

The stronger a person's power, the lower the probability of them producing offspring.

True Master Yun He had lived for nearly ten thousand years, yet publicly, he had no children to this day.

Now...

...Lin Xiao's life or death was unknown; as a father, how could he sit idly by?

That guilt and concern were almost burning through his heart and lungs!

However...

...he could not say these words out loud.

He had to find a high-sounding reason, one sufficient to override the "risk of Karma."

After taking a deep breath.

All the struggle and anger on True Master Yun He's face instantly vanished, replaced by a heavy and resolute solemnity.

He turned slowly, his gaze as deep as an abyss, slowly scanning every Elder and deacon present.

"How could I not know what you Elders are saying?"

His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly and powerfully in every corner of the hall.

"I too feel lingering fear regarding the past events of the Tianlei Sect. Who among practitioners does not revere the terror of Karma?"

At this point...

...his tone suddenly shifted, becoming sonorous and forceful.

"Have you all considered: if our Xuanyun Sect ignores the unexplained disappearance of over a hundred elite Disciples today because we fear Karma, how will the outside world view our Xuanyun Sect?"

"Especially those young Disciples who view the Sect as their reliance—what will they think?"

"Yes! Disciples can be trained again. But once hearts have scattered and the Sect's integrity is lost, can any amount of resources or time Cultivate them back?"

He stepped forward, speaking with an air of righteous indignation.

"Our Xuanyun Sect has stood on the Xingyuan Continent for hundreds of thousands of years, relying not just on strength, but on this sense of responsibility and kinship toward our members!"

"If we abandon these one hundred and thirty-eight Disciples today, will we also abandon more people when we encounter greater danger in the future?"

"If this continues, will the Sect still be a Sect? What difference would there be between us and those cold-blooded executioners?"

"As for Karma..."

At this point...

...a sharp light flashed in True Master Yun He's eyes, followed by a very open-minded tone.

"The path of cultivation is inherently Heaven-Defying; where does one not encounter Karma?"

"To give up for fear of a potential problem—is that what we do? For this trip to the Tianji Sect, I will go in my personal name and use my private treasury resources to minimize direct involvement with the Sect as much as possible."

"If there truly is a backlash from Karma, I... am willing to bear it all alone!"

These words...

...were spoken with such resonance and righteousness.

Especially the final four words 'bear it all alone,' combined with True Master Yun He's resolute and tragic expression, instantly moved many people.

Even Master Yunshan, who had been the most vocal opponent, finally just let out a long sigh after seeing the Sect Master's firm gaze and did not speak out in rebuttal again.

The few Elders who had supported him from the start were even more excited, repeatedly praising the Sect Master's high-mindedness.

And those in the neutral faction...

...were also mostly moved by this rhetoric of 'for the Sect's integrity and future,' feeling that it seemed quite reasonable.

"The Sect Master is truly righteous! We were too narrow-minded!"

"In that case, we shall proceed as the Sect Master says!"

"May the Sect Master have a smooth journey and safely bring back news of the Disciples!"

...

Seeing that the matter was settled, True Master Yun He felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

He said no more; after nodding slightly to the crowd, he turned into a streak of light and left directly!

Inside the hall...

...the flattering expressions from just a moment ago vanished instantly.

They were all thousand-year-old foxes; how could they truly be moved by a few passionate words?

Master Yunshan watched the disappearing streak of light, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Private treasury resources? Bearing it all alone?"

"Sect Master, oh Sect Master, if Karma were truly that easy to separate and bear... how would the Tianlei Sect have been wiped out? What exactly... are you hiding?"

A trace of unease quietly crept into the Second Elder's heart.

[It’s better not to investigate; once you do, it's game over...]