Shane Freak
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Chapter 596: Reunion
🕑 Added 2024-04-21 04:51:42 +0000 UTCImmortal Path Space : Table of Content/Chapter List
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After a moment, three powerful auras descended from the mountain and landed in front of Wang Hong.
Clearly, in Hezhou, a Nascent Soul Cultivator was enough to draw the attention of any faction.
"Fellow Daoist has traveled a long way. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. Please, come inside!" Wang Hong was faced with this Nascent Soul Cultivator whose intentions were unclear. In general, when dealing with such individuals, it was essential to ascertain their purpose before deciding whether to introduce them to the Mountain Gate. Otherwise, given the destructive power of Nascent Soul Cultivators, any malicious intent could lead to devastating consequences.
The three Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Beast Spirit Sect obviously believed that the three of them could overpower Wang Hong, which is why they confidently invited him inside.
After assimilating several forces, the Beast Spirit Sect had become exceptionally powerful, with a considerable number of Nascent Soul Cultivators, totaling five people.
Apart from these three, there were two Nascent Soul Cultivators who had sustained injuries earlier and were currently in seclusion, recovering.
At their level, recovering from injuries was no easy task, and finding healing Spiritual Herbs in Hezhou was also challenging. They had to rely on their own resilience.
Wang Hong paid no mind to this and followed the three of them as they flew toward the highest peak in the center.
The four of them entered a Great Hall at the mountaintop.
"I'm not sure where Fellow Daoist cultivated before. What brings you here?" After serving them Spirit Tea, the middle-aged man with short purple beard, who was the leader, began to inquire about their business.
Currently, there were only a little over twenty Nascent Soul Cultivators in the entire Southern Region, making it a relatively small circle. Even if they hadn't met before, they would have heard of each other.
Now, a Nascent Soul Cultivator had suddenly appeared whom none of them had seen, and his aura was clearly stronger than theirs.
"I am originally a disciple of the Qingxu Sect. Later, due to a fortuitous encounter, I achieved Nascent Soul cultivation. I heard that the Qingxu Sect has merged with the Beast Spirit Sect, so I came to visit old friends. Additionally, I have some old grudges with the Golden Core Cultivators of your esteemed sect."
The three men were pleased to hear the first part. Being from the Qingxu Sect made them consider Wang Hong part of their own, and having such a relationship could potentially be a valuable asset.
However, the second part of Wang Hong's statement made them uneasy. It seemed there were enemies within the Beast Spirit Sect.
Although the other party claimed it to be a Golden Core Cultivator, they were the ancestors of the Beast Spirit Sect, and they felt an obligation to protect their own disciples at all costs. If a sect couldn't even safeguard its own members, the disciples would lose their sense of security, and the sect's cohesion would deteriorate.
They might end up forming enmities with the other party.
"The Fellow Daoist Qi from the Qingxu Sect and several disciples are here. Would you like to meet your old fellow sect members?"
The middle-aged man with the purple beard was still trying to ease the situation. Even though they had the upper hand in terms of strength, they didn't want to antagonize a Nascent Soul Cultivator easily, as they didn't want to rely on their sect's reputation to suppress others.
It was fortunate they chose not to.
"That's a good idea. I'd like to see my former fellow sect members."
"Qingxu Villa is located on the eastern peak. Fellow Daoist, please follow me."
The middle-aged man with the purple beard led Wang Hong toward a cluster of peaks to the east. He was very hospitable, introducing various sights along the way, as well as the cultivators they encountered, treating Wang Hong as an esteemed guest.
After assimilating many forces, the Beast Spirit Sect had not completely absorbed them but had instead organized them into different mountain peaks in the form of branch sects.
Although they were part of the Beast Spirit Sect, integrating them fully was not something that could be achieved in a short time.
Upon reaching Qingxu Villa, Wang Hong felt that the Spiritual Qi here was decent, but it paled in comparison to the Qingxu Mountain of the past.
He had never expected that a prestigious sect with a history spanning tens of thousands of years would end up in such a state.
Upon receiving word of the arrival of four Nascent Soul Cultivators, Qingxu Sect's sole remaining Nascent Soul Cultivator, accompanied by six Golden Core Cultivators, came out to welcome them.
Wang Hong had seen this Nascent Soul Cultivator from afar a few times before, but they had never had any substantial interaction. However, he could recognize the six Golden Core Cultivators behind him.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoists! I am Wang Hong."
The Nascent Soul Cultivator, Qi Rui, seemed a bit puzzled as he didn't have a strong impression of Wang Hong. He responded politely nonetheless.
However, the six Golden Core Cultivators behind him were finding it hard to contain their excitement. Among these six, there were Wu Tingchang from Kaiyang Peak, the charismatic second-generation cultivator Qi Shaoqing, and the senior Golden Core Cultivator, Pill Hall Master Mei.
These individuals had interacted with Wang Hong more frequently in the past. While they had noticed the striking resemblance between this Nascent Soul Cultivator and Wang Hong they once knew, they hadn't dared to assume it was him. Crossing that line was too difficult.
It wasn't until Wang Hong revealed his identity that they confirmed it was indeed him. They were astonished to learn that Wang Hong had already reached the Nascent Soul stage, placing him in a different league from them.
"Fellow Daoist, may I have a private conversation with my fellow sect members?" Wang Hong turned to the three Nascent Soul Cultivators who had accompanied him.
"In that case, we won't disturb you. We'll take our leave."
The three of them departed without much discussion, believing that Qingxu Sect merging with Beast Spirit Sect was the best choice, and they didn't want to stir up any trouble.
After the purple-bearded cultivator left, Qi Rui led Wang Hong to a guest reception hall.
The two of them sat down, while the six Golden Core Cultivators had to stand on the side. There were no seats for them at this moment.
"Junior Brother Wang, you've achieved so much at such a young age, reaching the Nascent Soul stage in just over a hundred years," Qi Rui said, understanding the situation now.
"Senior Brother Qi, are these six the only Golden Core Cultivators left in Qingxu Sect?" Wang Hong remembered that at the height of Qingxu Sect's power, they had dozens of Golden Core Cultivators, and with their affiliated forces, they numbered over a hundred.
"Yes, only these six remain. The others have fallen in battle. Over the past hundred years, there has been constant warfare, resources have been cut off, and we no longer have the means to cultivate Golden Core Cultivators. Losing the six major secret realms of the East Zhou meant that even the number of Foundation Building Cultivators has been decreasing year by year. Alas, it's my incompetence. Qingxu Sect, with a history spanning tens of thousands of years, met its end during my tenure. There is no more Qingxu Sect now," Qi Rui said, sounding despondent.
"Senior Brother Qi, there's no need to blame yourself too much. When the Western Zhou and the Eastern Sea Demon Clan joined forces, they were much stronger than the East Zhou, so defeat was inevitable." Wang Hong had fought the Demon Clan in numerous battles and knew firsthand how formidable they were.
"At that time, I had cultivated hundreds of Golden Core Cultivators and four Nascent Soul Cultivators, but we still suffered defeats."
"I've come here not only to see my fellow sect members but also to offer assistance if any of you wish to leave the Beast Spirit Sect and re-establish Qingxu Sect."
Upon hearing Wang Hong's words, the expressions of the people in the room showed a mixture of surprise and hope. However, that hope quickly dimmed.
"Alas, Junior Brother Wang, I must confess that Qingxu Sect, along with other factions, merged with the Beast Spirit Sect not just under duress but also for self-preservation."
Qi Rui went on to explain the situation in detail. After years of continuous warfare in the Southern Region, two native forces had risen to power, gradually absorbing other factions. Now, the Southern Region could no longer accommodate other forces. Furthermore, there were signs of the Demon Clan advancing southward, making survival even more challenging in the future.
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Next Chapter >>Chapter 597: The Vanquished Foe
