671: Chapter 671 Inner Beauty

"Have you sent someone to communicate with them? What is their attitude?" Liu Xuan asked.

Saint Daughter Xu Zhiyin continued to nod and replied, "We have been sending people to communicate with them from the very beginning. The Demon Lord of the Long Whale Palace denied that they would take action against us, stating only that they are preparing to raid the Southern Border Demon Tribe to cope with the fluctuations in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."

This statement was not merely perfunctory; there was indeed some logic to it. Since the Spiritual Qi of the Eastern Sea was converging toward the Southern Border, the Long Whale Palace attacking the Joyous Union Sect would only solve short-term problems without addressing the root cause.

Since it was the Southern Border that was profiting, the most direct method was to go to the Southern Border to raid, seizing their territory and spiritual resources. Regardless of where the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was flowing, as long as they snatched it back, they would not be at a loss.

However, although the words made sense, the Long Whale Palace massing troops in the Chaotic Sea Region was definitely not normal.

There were many places where the Eastern Sea and the Southern Border bordered each other. The Long Whale Palace could completely launch an attack from the deep sea areas where they bordered the Southern Border Demon Tribe; there was no need to increase troops in the coastal areas near the Joyous Union Sect.

Simply put, whether in the Southern Border or the Eastern Sea, the largest forces were the Yao Race. If the Long Whale Palace truly intended to raid the Southern Border, their target should be the Southern Border Demon Tribe, and they should be gathering troops deep within the Southern Border.

"What about the Dao Court? Have you sent anyone to notify them?" Liu Xuan asked after a moment of thought.

Although the Joyous Union Sect was not under the direct jurisdiction of the Dao Court, it had a subordinate relationship with it. The Dao Court indirectly obtained many benefits from the Joyous Union Sect every year, and at the same time, the Dao Court also helped the Joyous Union Sect suppress the Yao Race of the Eastern Sea from afar.

According to the agreement between the three parties, it was fine for the Yao Race of the Eastern Sea to take back the Chaotic Sea Region, but once they touched the territory of the Joyous Union Sect, the Dao Court should intervene to assist.

"I have discussed this matter with the Red Dust Branch, and they have already reported it to the Dao Court. However, it is hard to say exactly when the Dao Court will send reinforcements." Saint Daughter Xu Zhiyin's tone became more and more serious as she spoke.

After all, the Joyous Union Sect belonged to an independent faction and was outside the Dao Court system; for the Dao Court, they were actually not in a rush at all.

Even if the Long Whale Palace of the Eastern Sea really attacked the Joyous Union Sect, or even destroyed the Joyous Union Sect in a short time, it would not be a great loss for the Dao Court.

The Dao Court was powerful; they could just send people to retake the coastal area afterwards and would still be able to control the coastal waters of the Eastern Sea.

If the Dao Court intervened only when the Joyous Union Sect and the Long Whale Palace had fought to mutual exhaustion, they might even have the opportunity to severely damage the Long Whale Palace while further strengthening their control over the Eastern Sea region.

The Dao Court, the Joyous Union Sect, and the Long Whale Palace of the Eastern Sea had always been in a delicate balance, and it was difficult to define their relationships as friends or foes.

Normally speaking, the Long Whale Palace had no reason to attack the Joyous Union Sect. Not only would they gain no benefits, but it might also give the Dao Court an opportunity to attack them.

The Dao Court was strong, while the Joyous Union Sect and the Long Whale Palace were weak. During the long period of peace in the past, the Joyous Union Sect and the Long Whale Palace were actually not enemies, but allies.

"Damn!"

The more Liu Xuan thought about it, the more he could not understand it. Was the Long Whale Palace so bored that they were looking for trouble with him?

"You may go now! Report to me at any time if there is any situation." Liu Xuan waved his hand at Saint Daughter Xu Zhiyin without any further instructions.

"Yes!"

Saint Daughter Xu Zhiyin left in a hurry. Recently, there were too many things going on, and she, as the Saintess, was very busy.

Liu Xuan stayed alone in the main hall to think quietly for a while, then suddenly stood up and used a spatial teleportation to arrive at the Star Gazing Platform on the top of the Xuanyin Pavilion.

"Xingwan, you mentioned to me before that the Long Whale Palace has a mysterious newly promoted Great Sage named... Great Sage Huateng, right?"

Liu Xuan walked behind Jiang Xingwan, who was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, and asked.

"Yes!" Jiang Xingwan nodded and turned to look at Liu Xuan, asking in confusion, "Does my husband feel that something is wrong?"

Liu Xuan squatted down, squeezed onto the same meditation cushion with Jiang Xingwan, and asked slowly, "Do you think it is possible that this Great Sage Huateng is the long-missing Sect Master of the Joyous Union Sect?"

Jiang Xingwan's gaze paused for a moment, and after thinking for a while, she shook her head, "The possibility is very low."

She analyzed, "Although Great Sage Huateng is mysterious, he has appeared in public several times in recent years. His immense Demonic Qi is like an abyss and a sea; a Dao Lord of the Human Race could not disguise that."

"Moreover, if he really were the Sect Master of our sect, there would be no reason for him not to contact me."

"Why would my husband have such a thought?" Jiang Xingwan asked in confusion.

Liu Xuan told her about the situation reported by Saint Daughter Xu Zhiyin and said helplessly, "The recent actions of the Long Whale Palace are abnormal. Coupled with the sudden appearance of the Sect Master's Personal Disciple, He Zhou, half a year ago, I was wondering if there might be some connection between the two."

Jiang Xingwan smiled gently and leaned her head on Liu Xuan's shoulder, "My husband need not worry. Junior Sister Qingyan has extensive connections in the Dao Court. As long as the Dao Court steps in, the possibility of the Long Whale Palace attacking us is extremely low."

"Furthermore, in at most three years, I will be able to promote to the Late-stage Spirit Transformation. By then, as long as I use my Dharma Aspect Incarnation to negotiate with the Long Whale Palace, no matter what their intentions are, they will surely retreat in the face of difficulty."

Liu Xuan thought about it and realized that Jiang Xingwan was right. Although the Long Whale Palace was strong, it was ultimately one level weaker than the Dao Court. No matter what conspiracy they had, they would always have misgivings.

Soldiers come, block; water comes, cover with earth. There was no need to waste time on them; at worst, they could just flee back to the Southern Border!

"My wife is right!"

Liu Xuan helped Jiang Xingwan up and, under her slightly confused gaze, pushed her to the edge of the Star Gazing Platform.

"The night is beautiful, and it is the perfect time for Cultivate. Let me assist you in your practice!"

"Ah~"

Jiang Xingwan turned her head and gave Liu Xuan a reproachful look.

As the saying goes, a glance back can be filled with a hundred charms. Although Jiang Xingwan did not smile, her glance back was full of charm, and Liu Xuan almost could not hold back.

...

A few days later.

Liu Xuan did not think much more about what the Long Whale Palace was up to; he just continued to send people to keep an eye on their movements as usual.

Apart from helping Jiang Xingwan break through her realm and taking care of the many Concubines in the Qiankun Hall, Liu Xuan mainly focused on the matter of unifying the four branches of the Joyous Union Sect.

Of the four Grade 5 Spiritual Veins in the coastal area, besides the Yin-Yang Archipelago which reached the Grade 5 Medium Grade, the other three were all Grade 5 Low Grade.

The four Spiritual Veins roughly formed a square as a whole. Among them, the sea areas of the Yin-Yang Branch and the Hehuan Lineage were deeper, while the Caixuan and Red Dust Branch were closer to the Central Province.

"It is a pity that the distances between the sea areas are really too far. Otherwise, if the Earth Vein Grand Array could be used to connect the four Spiritual Veins together to form a grand Formation, it would certainly be able to reach the Grade 5 High Grade level."

The Eastern Sea was different from the other four regions; the Spiritual Veins were separated by seawater and were relatively scattered, making it difficult to form a massive Earth Vein Grand Array.

To connect the four Grade 5 Spiritual Veins of the Joyous Union Sect into a whole, Liu Xuan had a preliminary idea: if a transit Formation node could be built in the center of the 'square', it would be able to solve the problem of the difficulty in connecting the Spiritual Veins.

However, with his current cultivation and Formation level, he could not do it for the time being; he would at least need to truly become a Grade 5 Formation Great Master.

"What is the Sect Master thinking about?"

Red Dust Daoist Lord Su Qingyan, wearing a colorful, bright, and youthful dress, naturally approached Liu Xuan's side.

"They all say that the Sect Master is lecherous and cannot move when seeing a beautiful woman, yet you are distracted when alone with me. Am I not beautiful enough?"

Liu Xuan looked Red Dust Daoist Lord Su Qingyan up and down, and his Divine Sense probed towards her, but it was abruptly bounced back.

He withdrew his Divine Sense with a normal expression and said solemnly, "Sister Qingyan has misunderstood. I, Liu Xuan, am not such a superficial person. What I like is not the appearance, but the inner beauty!"