Three days later.
The warship from the Heavenly Casualty War Hall led three huge fleets that set sail from Heavenly Dao Sect and surrounding cities, heading straight towards the Southern Region.
As for the original Nine Cauldrons Peak...
It was left under the charge of Lv Suoyu and Xu Nianhua, who had cultivated the Blazing White Golden Core, among others.
Additionally, two War Immortals from the Heavenly Casualty War Hall stayed behind to handle so urgent matters.
After all, as the Deputy Sect Leader of the sect, he still had nurous properties on the side of the Heavenly Dao Sect, properties which could bring him an inco of over three million Pure Yang Great Pills annually. These earnings were not sothing he would simply give up.
On another mountaintop at so distance from Nine Cauldrons Peak, Zong Wenxian, the Sect Master of Heavenly Dao Sect, watched the warship rise into the sky and vanish at the edge of the heavens, his expression full of unsaid words.
Behind him, Langya, who was supposed to be dispatched to the Northern Region but had not yet embarked, consoled him, "Master, after all these years of effort in the Southern Region, the Lu Family, Li Family, and Jing Family, each one is a deeply connected power. Especially the Jing Family, behind them stands the Supre Elder Jing Yuntian. Moreover, with Elder Wu Wu Changfeng in charge of coordinating everything, the entire Southern Region is as solid as a slab of iron. Even if Alkaid reaches there, opening up the situation will take him at least several decades."
At this, he smiled confidently, "With those decades, I will surely complete the integration of Cave Heaven and the Dao seed, stepping into the Void Refinent Realm. By that ti, whether he is the Deputy Sect Leader or I am, we will both be vying for the position of overlord of the Southern Region—legally and rightfully so."
"I just fear that the Penglai Dao Lord behind Alkaid will interfere again, causing the situation to change."
Zong Wenxian said solemnly.
"Even if the Penglai Dao Lord wants to secure a fallback for her own sect, she wouldn't go so far as to be blatant about her actions. After all, it's not just the Jade Kirin Demon Saint she's offended, but also the Yuan Yi Dao Lord of the Haitian Sword Pavilion. Back then, even though she, with the Origin Dao of the Supre Human Emperor, suppressed Yuan Yi Dao Lord, once it cos to the level of Dao Lord, it's basically the limit of what the Lower Realm's heaven and earth can accommodate," Langya said with the confidence typical of the young. "When everyone's ceiling is nearly the sa, relying only on the differences in Dao techniques and Dao artifacts, the advantage in numbers becos magnified. Therefore, even a powerful figure like Penglai Dao Lord definitely doesn't have the courage to offend three fellow Dao Lords of the sa realm."
As he spoke, he seed to recall sothing and added, "Actually, it should be four Dao Lords because the foundation of our Heavenly Dao Sect is incomparable to that of ordinary sects."
Zong Wenxian pondered for a mont and felt that Penglai Dao Lord wouldn't dare to be so aggressive.
After all, just dealing with the Jade Kirin Demon Saint was already giving her a lot of trouble.
Not long ago, she even had to shrink her territories in the Outer Sea because of the Heaven-Devouring Demon King.
In such a situation, to intervene openly in the affairs of Heavenly Dao Sect would unquestionably offend Jun Tian Dao Lord of their sect, as well as the Golden Book Venerable who guarded the sect.
If it ca to that, even if her strength was formidable and her influence great, she would end up being universally condemned.
Not to ntion the distant future, once she stepped through the Gate of the Immortal Realm and ascended to the Immortal Realm, the Dao legacy she left behind would inevitably be destroyed thoroughly by others.
"The last ti Penglai Dao Lord helped Alkaid quickly reach the Refining Void was truly unexpected for us; none of us thought that the Dao Lord would personally instruct Alkaid, allowing him to cross from the initial stage of the Hollow Void to the peak in just over a decade. But this ti, with Elder Wu watching over, monitoring closely, if Alkaid gets involved with the Penglai Immortal Sect again and we catch evidence..."
Langya slightly smiled, "We can directly expel him, cleansing our ranks, and even the Golden Book Venerable will have nothing to say at that ti."
"That's also true."
Zong Wenxian nodded his head.
He had great confidence in the capabilities of Wu Changfeng.
Under his managent, the Southern Region had been well-ordered for many years, with hardly any need for him to worry.
After so thought, the Sect Master said, "I'll pay a visit to Supre Elder Jing Yuntian. Additionally, help prepare two gifts. They don't need to be too expensive, just for Lu Wanshi and Li Baijie, the two peak masters. They will understand my aning."
Langya nodded.
The reason why Zong Wenxian had been able to firmly hold the Southern Region in his grasp over the years, causing all Supre Elders and high-ranking officials to turn a blind eye, was not only due to his own capabilities and thods but also because he had shared a considerable amount of benefits.
Lu Wanshi, Li Baijie, Jing Yuntian, Wu Changfeng, and others were all beneficiaries of the interests in the Southern Region.
If Alkaid wanted to take control of the Southern Region, he would inevitably infringe on their interests. Thus, in resisting Alkaid, they naturally could not just stand by idly.
...
While Alkaid's Nine Cauldrons Peak lineage, the Heavenly Casualty War Hall, families like the Ling Family, the Chi Family, and others headed grandiosely towards the Southern Region, within the Penglai Immortal Sect, a dispute was unfolding.
"Master is biased!"
At the mont, in the Penglai Pavilion, where Acting Sect Master Shi Lin was handling the sect's affairs, Leng Qingqiu's voice could be heard, "Alkaid, by all counts, has joined our Penglai Immortal Sect for less than twenty years. Why does Master favor him so much, even passing on her teachings personally? Besides, he has not yet been officially recorded in our sect's roles, so he doesn't count as a true mber of Penglai."
"We are in no position to question Master's decisions. Besides, we're not discussing this matter right now, but the feedback from Palace Masters Zhengyang and Xuan Yin," Shi Lin said sternly while looking at his younger fellow disciple. "Why did you backstab regarding the Heaven-Devouring Demon King and even had Palace Masters Zhengyang and Xuan Yin take action against Alkaid, True Monarch? Do you realize what kind of impact this will have on our Penglai Immortal Sect?"
Her tone was full of severity, "Others co to the Deep Blue Sea out of goodwill to help us slay demons, yet you attack him!? If word of this spreads, which sect's Hollow Void or Refining Void would dare to co to the Deep Blue Sea to assist us in the future!? Not to ntion that Alkaid is the Deputy Sect Leader of the Heavenly Dao Sect! Do you realize what consequences your actions, as Deputy Sect Master of the Penglai Immortal Sect, could bring when striking another major sect's Deputy Sect Master?"
However, her stern tone did not frighten Leng Qingqiu.
Having lived together for so many years, Leng Qingqiu was well acquainted with their eldest senior sister's temperant.
She even retorted with an equally confrontational tone, "Deputy Sect Leader? He wasn't the Deputy Sect Leader at that ti! Moreover, why do you think he beca the Deputy Sect Leader of the Heavenly Dao Sect so quickly? Eldest senior sister, don't tell you aren't aware of that? Yet you kept all of us in the dark about such matters, do you still consider us family?"
"Junior sister, I'm discussing the impact of this incident with you, don't change the subject."
Shi Lin hastily said.
"Is the impact of this incident more important than the trust between us? Is it more important than the rift that has ford within our family!? Eldest senior sister, you have said that our Penglai Immortal Sect is different from the other sects of the Northern Sea Star; we should be like a family, supportive and loving. Ho is a place for emotions, not for discussing interests or reasoning. Yet now you... you completely disregard that and instead stand on an outsider's side to criticize ?"
Leng Qingqiu's tone carried a hint of grievance, "Didn't you ever consider whether I was injured at the ti? Didn't you think that perhaps he attacked first and I had no choice but to defend myself?"
Seeing her own junior sister in this state, Shi Lin couldn't help but feel compassion.
She could only offer so comfort, "You... you weren't injured, were you? It was he who attacked you first?"
"He did not attack first, but eldest senior sister, do you rember when I invited him to deal with the Heaven-Devouring Demon King? At that ti, his words were full of disdain for , mocking and cynical. I felt that he surely bore malice towards . Therefore, to be on the safe side, I might have been slightly too extre in so of my words and actions."
Leng Qingqiu spoke with certainty.
"Such a statent is too subjective,"
Shi Lin said.
Unwittingly, she had been sidetracked by Leng Qingqiu's topic.
"I am rely stating a fact,"
Leng Qingqiu said, "He clearly regards all of us as competitors, as targets to suppress. If we don't unite and stand together, the next step for him will be to directly interfere with the affairs of the Penglai Immortal Sect."
"If it's true like the rumors from the outside world suggest, then it is also the decision of our master..."
Shi Lin sighed.
"Then let et with our master! I have many questions about my cultivation that I want to consult her about. She has been avoiding under the pretext of preparing for 'the Dao Struggle,' yet she could find such a long ti to personally guide an outsider. Are we, who have followed master for so many years, diligently serving the sect, not worth as much as an outsider who joined the sect and arrived at the Northern Sea Star just over a decade ago?"
"With less than a thousand years left before the Gate of the Immortal Realm opens, and the process of 'the Dao Struggle' being imnsely perilous, master must be fully prepared. You also need to understand master, she..."
Just as Shi Lin was about to say sothing, at this mont, a young man with a noble bearing and another girl who seed sowhat lively and mischievous, flew into the hall with their Escaping Light.
"Eldest senior sister, where is our master now? The outside world is saying that Alkaid is master's newly accepted disciple, is that news true?"
"Eldest senior sister, master is too biased. Why does she have ti to guide an outsider rather than guiding ? If I could also receive master's ticulous guidance for nearly a decade, I would surely be able to cultivate to the Void Refinent Realm as well."
It was none other than two other disciples of the Penglai Immortal Sect, Zhan Xiao and Shui Yunhan.
Seeing the two who had co upon hearing the news, Shi Lin showed a look of helplessness.
"Eldest senior sister, please inform our master then, otherwise, we will never be content,"
"Yes, eldest senior sister, at least we want to know where we fell short,"
"Master can spare the ti to guide others, surely she can spare the ti to et with us, her direct disciples,"
The several of them said one after another.
With one thing leading to another, Shi Lin beca more helpless.
Finally, she could only say, "Well... I'll ask our master..."
After all, she too needed to consult with the master to clarify how to treat this Deputy Sect Leader Alkaid from now on.
Should he simply be seen as a Refining Void True Monarch who has good relations with the Penglai Immortal Sect?
Or...
The shadow Deputy Sect Master of the Penglai Immortal Sect.
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