355: The orders of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect

After a long silence, the air inside the Imperial Study seemed to freeze.

A flash of ruthless determination crossed Li Xuan's eyes as he said in a deep voice:

"Send down the order! The border army is to strictly guard the defense lines. Without my personal decree, they must not act rashly, lest they be dragged into the chaos of the Southern Border! Furthermore, triple the manpower to keep a close watch on the Southern Border! Especially the movements of Situ Jun and those Nascent Soul old monsters. Report back immediately as soon as there is news!"

"Also,"

He paused, his tone softening slightly, yet carrying a deeper calculation:

"Although it's a bit late, the matter of the disturbances in the Southern Border must still be secretly reported to the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty. The wording must be respectful. We need to highlight our Dynasty's loyalty in sticking to our duties and following the laws of the Imperial Dynasty, while also emphasizing the difficulties of the Southern Border being remote and information being blocked. At the same time... focus on mentioning that the scoundrel Situ Jun might be hiding his Cultivation and harboring ill intentions, suspecting him of colluding with those Cultivators who broke the Seal. Ask the Imperial Dynasty to investigate thoroughly!"

He chose the safest approach, which also best suited his status as a vassal state—watching from the sidelines and reporting promptly. He would not offend the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty and could take the opportunity to shift the trouble onto Situ Jun, using the Imperial Dynasty's hand to test or eliminate this uncontrollable fellow.

After all, as a suspicious person, he was embarrassed to let the State Preceptor take action personally, and it also avoided Li Danying's hatred towards him.

"Yes, Your Majesty! This old servant will immediately draft the secret report and send a Cultivator to deliver it to the Tianlong Imperial Capital!"

Li Fu bowed and accepted the order, then carefully backed out, not daring to say another word.

Li Xuan walked to the window and pushed open the heavy vermilion casement, looking towards the southern horizon.

There, the clouds seemed to be rolling, faintly revealing an oppressive, malevolent aura.

The Mingya Inheritance, the Nascent Soul melee, the Heavenly Dragon intervention... the Southern Border had completely become a giant powder keg. One slight misstep would ignite a catastrophic wave.

And his Tianqi Dynasty, in the face of such a storm capable of toppling dynasties, was merely a traveler on a small boat, only able to navigate the waves with extreme caution. One mistake would lead to being crushed to pieces.

He no longer dared to hope for the Legacy; he only hoped that the "Heaven-Patrolling Iron Cavalry" of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty would be strong enough to deal with those Nascent Soul old monsters who dared to challenge the order, along with that damned, uncontrollable Situ Jun!

Meanwhile, the Nether Crow Cave Mansion of Daoist Ming Ya, which had been open for half a month, ended with the collapse of the cave mansion and the complete destruction of the Legacy after devouring the lives of countless Cultivators.

The surviving Cultivators were fleeing in disarray. Before long, the tragic scene and the changes within the cave mansion would spread throughout the countries surrounding the Tianqi Dynasty.

Meanwhile, deep in the Southern Border, at the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect.

This Sect, perched in the heart of the Black Miasma Mountain Range, was shrouded in poisonous mist year-round, looking eerie and sinister.

Inside the main hall of the headquarters, the light was even dimmer. The ghostly green fires embedded in the walls cast flickering shadows on everyone's faces, giving them a somewhat hideous appearance.

The Withered Bone Ascetic sat cross-legged below the main seat. He wore a grayish-black monk's robe, his body as thin as a withered stick, and his face was covered in deep wrinkles like old tree bark.

At this moment, his face was still somewhat pale, with a trace of undried blood lingering at the corner of his mouth. Clearly, he had just been through a fierce battle, and his aura was slightly unstable. However, his murky eyes flickered with a more sinister and ruthless light than before, like a poisoned dagger.

Just half an hour ago, he had suppressed several Elders within the Sect with thunderous methods, who were dissatisfied with his early return from the Nether Crow Cave Mansion with nothing to show for it.

Those Elders had long harbored resentment against him. Seeing him return in defeat this time, they wanted to take the opportunity to strike. They hadn't expected that although the Withered Bone Ascetic was injured, his strength was still terrifying. He heavily wounded and captured them in just a few moves, intimidating the entire Ten Thousand Gu Sect.

Currently, a group of core Elders and managing Disciples of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect stood in the hall, all with their heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the Withered Bone Ascetic.

A Disciple at the Early Golden Core Stage, dressed in green tight-fitting clothes and looking terrified, stood trembling in the center of the hall, reporting on the situation of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion.

"Elders, the Nether Crow Cave Mansion... the core Restriction of the cave mansion collapsed three days ago, and the Legacy treasures inside were all destroyed. Of the Cultivators who entered the cave mansion, not even one in ten survived... Nascent Soul Cultivators like Elder Yin Gu and Village Elder Gongsun all perished in the depths of the cave mansion, leaving no remains. Even... even Grand Elder Withered Bone only managed to escape by forcibly unsealing his Cultivation. We Disciples were fortunate enough to only operate on the outskirts of the cave mansion, so we were able to save our lives and flee back in haste."

As he spoke, he peeked at the Withered Bone Ascetic. Seeing the other's face as gloomy as water, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

"Trash!"

The Withered Bone Ascetic snorted coldly, his voice raspy and unpleasant, filled with deep dissatisfaction.

He waved his hand, signaling the Disciple to withdraw. His gaze swept over the crowd in the hall, and he spoke sinisterly:

"The general situation is as he said. Furthermore, I have three orders to be executed immediately!"

Hearing this, everyone raised their heads, their eyes full of confusion.

"First, from this day forward, all Disciples of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect who are training or expanding outside must contract their forces and withdraw to the Sect and surrounding strongholds. They are not to have any further conflicts with local tribes. Those who disobey will have their Cultivation crippled and be expelled from the Sect!"

"Second, allocate thirty percent of the Sect's resources, including food, medicinal materials, and cloth. Disciples will be dispatched to assist various tribes in the Southern Border in rebuilding villages destroyed by the flames of war and restoring farming. All tribes and towns will be exempt from all offerings and taxes for the next three years! All past due taxes and tributes are also waived."

"Third, Disciples within the Sect are no longer allowed to casually raise aggressive Gu insects or use Gu Arts to harm people within the Southern Border. If there are violations, they will be severely punished according to the Sect's rules, without exception!"

As soon as the three orders were issued, the hall immediately broke into an uproar.

"Ah? Grand Elder, this... why is this?"

"Our Ten Thousand Gu Sect has always been the undisputed authority in the Southern Border. It has always been the tribes who pay tribute to us. Since when do we need to provide them with aid in return? This loss is too great!"

"Yes, Grand Elder. Three years of tax exemption and giving away thirty percent of our resources—the Sect's treasury is likely to be emptied! Moreover, if we aren't allowed to raise aggressive Gu insects or have conflicts with the tribes, where will the prestige of our Ten Thousand Gu Sect be?"

The Elders and managing Disciples all began to voice their doubts, their faces filled with disbelief.

The Ten Thousand Gu Sect had been established in the Southern Border for hundreds of years, relying on ruthlessness and unbridled plunder. When had they ever done such a thing as "performing good deeds and accumulating merit"?

This was completely inconsistent with the Withered Bone Ascetic's usual style of being profit-driven and ruthless.

"Hmm?"

A cold light flashed in the Withered Bone Ascetic's eyes, and a majestic Nascent Soul Stage pressure was suddenly released, like an invisible giant boulder pressing down heavily on everyone.

The managing Disciples with low Cultivation instantly turned pale, their legs giving way as they knelt on the ground. Even the Elders whose Cultivation had reached the Mid Golden Core Stage felt a tightness in their chests and difficulty breathing, as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

The Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect, Yang Yu, was also a Nascent Soul Cultivator, but due to the "Star Seal Restriction" of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, his Cultivation was suppressed to the Half-step Nascent Soul level. He only felt a slight discomfort from the Withered Bone Ascetic's pressure.

He frowned and looked at the Withered Bone Ascetic, saying:

"Elder Withered Bone must have a deep reason for this arrangement. Why not enlighten everyone? That way, everyone can execute the orders with peace of mind, avoiding suspicion."