396: Chapter 396 Just Don't Kill Him

Ji Wujiu's Immortal Cave.

Candlelight illuminated the solemn furnishings inside the Immortal Cave. A map of the White Rock Holy Land was spread out on a stone table, and several cups of spiritual tea emitted swirling steam.

Ji Wujiu sat cross-legged in the main seat, his grey robes hanging down. His face was sinister, and his triangular eyes revealed shrewdness and depth.

As the person who had held the position of Grand Elder in the Ji Family for the longest time, he had always been dissatisfied with Shi Qingxuan—a junior, why should she be placed above him?

Two Elders sat opposite him.

Elder Wan had a burly figure, dressed in dark brown tight-fitting clothes, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing knotted muscles. He was rubbing his hands together, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Elder Zhou had his beard and hair bristling, his face flushed red. He took a gulp from his teacup and set it down heavily: "A group of wet-behind-the-ears little girls, and they dare to come to our White Rock Holy Land to throw their weight around?"

What? Quiet and peaceful, not throwing their weight around? I say they are throwing their weight around, so they are throwing their weight around.

Ji Mitai sat in the lower seat, his posture respectful.

He stood up, bowed to the three Elders, his face full of smiles:

"Three Elders, before the meeting tomorrow, I ask you to make a move to suppress their arrogance, so that those Moonshadow Sect female cultivators know that the White Rock Holy Land is not a place where they can run wild."

Elder Wan slapped the stone table, making the teacup jump and tea splash out: "Don't worry! I'll be the first one tomorrow! I will definitely let that little girl know how tough I am!"

Elder Zhou stroked his beard, his voice muffled: "This old man wants to see just how much skill they have."

Ji Wujiu, however, frowned slightly, a trace of caution flashing in his eyes: "I heard that Supreme Moonshadow is quite protective of his own. What if..."

Ji Mitai smiled and said: "Grand Elder, rest assured. As a Supreme, he cannot personally step in. Besides, with Supreme Mingxuan here, what is there to fear?"

"And in terms of dueling, in this current world, erosion qi is particularly harmful to women, and their strength is mostly inferior to male cultivators. They are all just women, what kind of skills could they possibly have?"

He paused, a sharp light flashing in his eyes:

"At that time, we will first dampen their spirits, and once public opinion rises, we will naturally be able to grasp the initiative. During the meeting the day after tomorrow, why worry about not achieving our goals?"

Ji Wujiu pondered for a moment, nodded slowly, but still warned: "Do not deal fatal blows, stop at the appropriate point."

Elder Wan readily agreed, but a trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

—Stop at the appropriate point? He had just broken through to the sixth level of Void Tempering and needed to verify his own strength!

Ji Mitai watched the three leave, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a strange smile.

He certainly knew that the Moonshadow Sect female cultivators were not simple.

But the more it was like this, the more intense the conflict, the more disadvantageous it would be for the Ji Family—

And the more advantageous it would be for him.

After the three figures disappeared, the smile on his face gradually became ferocious.

"It's all that Supreme Moonshadow's fault..."

He whispered, scarlet light surging in his eyes.

"If it weren't for him, why would I have consumed that life-saving trump card? Why would I have ended up in such a situation!"

The next day, the discussion hall of the White Rock Holy Land was towering and solemn.

The hall was spacious, with thirty-six dragon-coiled jade pillars standing tall, supporting the sky. The pillars were engraved with the Dao marks of the predecessors of the White Rock Holy Land.

Above the dome, a huge star map slowly rotated, reflecting the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers of White Rock State. Sunlight poured in through the hollow-carved glazed windows, casting mottled light and shadows on the smooth, mirror-like mysterious stone floor.

On the high platform in the north, Shi Qingxuan sat in the main seat.

Her expression was calm, her gaze like an abyss. When she swept over the people in the hall, a trace of solemnity flashed in the depths of her eyes.

Rumors had been flying around the Sect for the past two days. She had been busy dealing with the reports from the affiliated Sects these few days and had neglected the fermentation of some public opinion. By the time her eldest Disciple Yunjie mentioned it, it was already too late.

Today's meeting, I fear, will be troublesome.

At a position slightly to her side,

At the very front was Shi Yunyu. She sat upright on a cold jade cushion. A wide, moon-white gradient to mugwort-grey cloak wrapped her tightly, showing no curves at all, only that gentle, full-moon-like face emitting a soft halo in the sunlight.

Behind her were Shi Qingxuan's three Disciples and the Elders close to Shi Qingxuan, including two Grand Elders.

On the other side of Shi Yunyu, Ji Xuanming, dressed in a black cloud-patterned robe, sat cross-legged on the jade platform.

A faint arc hung on the corners of his mouth, his gaze scanning Ling Hao opposite from time to time, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Ling Hao sat in the guest seat, his green robes dignified, his posture relaxed.

He took a sip from his teacup, as if this were not a tense discussion hall, but his own backyard.

Behind him, Chi Wanhe, Qin Zhaoxue, Du Yuqing, Lu Changning, Lin Xiwei, Xia Yingying, and Yue Xinxi, the seven women, lined up, their colorful dresses reflecting each other in the sunlight.

Behind Ji Xuanming, Ji Wujiu, Elder Wan, and Elder Zhou stood solemnly. Further back were seven or eight Elders of the Ji Faction, each with an arrogant expression.

Deeper inside, the three Grand Elders sat with their eyes closed—two at the sixth level of Undergoing Tribulation, one at the fifth level of Undergoing Tribulation, their aura as deep as an abyss.

The neutral Elders sat in twos and threes on both sides, some closing their eyes to rest, others whispering to each other, their gazes shifting between the Ji Faction and the Moonshadow Sect from time to time.

Just as Shi Qingxuan was about to speak, Ji Wujiu had already stepped out.

He bowed, his posture respectful, his voice audible throughout the hall:

"Sect Master, the Moonshadow Sect are guests from afar, but to set up a world-suppressing monument and build a resonance dao tower in White Rock State, you must let us be convinced. I heard that the Moonshadow Sect Disciples are all Prodigies, why not spar today, so that we can open our eyes?"

Shi Qingxuan frowned slightly: "Grand Elder, today's meeting is to discuss the strategy to deal with the Erosion Beast Tide, not—"

Ji Wujiu smiled and interrupted: "Sect Master, in the cultivation world, the strong are respected. If the Moonshadow Sect Disciples cannot even defeat our ordinary Elders of the Holy Land, then the matter of the world-suppressing monument will have to be reconsidered."

He bit the four words "ordinary Elders" very hard, his gaze scanning the women behind Ling Hao intentionally or unintentionally, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes.

Ji Xuanming did not speak, just nodded slightly. The three Grand Elders behind him opened their eyes in unison, their gazes like lightning, sweeping across the women of the Moonshadow Sect, and then fell on Shi Qingxuan—applying pressure.

In the neutral Elders' seats, some frowned, some whispered, but no one spoke to refute. Ji Wujiu used the excuse of "verifying strength," which was indeed hard to refute.

Chi Wanhe stood behind Ling Hao, the corners of her mouth slightly raised. She looked down at Ling Hao and transmitted her voice:

"Revered Master, they are indeed as you said."

Ling Hao held his teacup, a smile appearing on the corners of his mouth, and transmitted back:

"Go, just don't beat them to death."

A light flashed in Chi Wanhe's eyes, and her smile deepened.

Just at this moment, a commotion suddenly came from outside the hall.

"The White Rock Holy Land is the Holy Land of the White Rock people! Refuse the infiltration of forces from outside the state!"

"Moonshadow Sect, get out of White Rock State!"

"Sect Master, you are muddled!"

The sound waves grew louder and louder, piercing through the heavy hall doors and clearly entering everyone's ears.

Shi Qingxuan's expression sank. She looked sideways towards the hall door, a flash of anger in her eyes.

Shi Yunyu frowned slightly but did not speak.

Ling Hao's hand holding the teacup paused, then he continued to sip his tea as if nothing had happened.

The corners of Ji Xuanming's mouth raised imperceptibly—public opinion had already risen, and regardless of the outcome today, Shi Qingxuan had already lost points.