"We must follow up on this matter, we absolutely cannot miss it." Xue Wuheng emphasized to his subordinates, attaching great importance to this matter: "For so many years, Pei Xuanjing has never made any pointless actions, since his rise to prominence, every move he has made has been part of a long-term plan, it must be of great importance."
He simply did not believe in the purpose proposed by Pei Xuanjing. Instead, he trusted his own judgment more. Given Pei Xuanjing's past, Xue Wuheng believed that Pei Xuanjing must have significant plans. He needed to send people to join them and probe what he believed to be Pei Xuanjing's true purpose.
Although his Demonic Cult was currently facing some troubles, these issues were nothing compared to paying attention to Pei Xuanjing's plan.
"Yes!" Immediately, a spiritual realm strongman from the Demonic Cult took the responsibility to handle this matter.
The current Pei Xuanjing, though unmoving as a mountain, is undoubtedly the focus of everyone, there is no doubt about that,
After making these arrangements, Xue Wuheng turned his gaze to another spiritual realm strongman, the Blood Slaughter Sovereign, and asked about recent events.
"Brother Blood Slaughter, How is the situation with Yang Yongxiu, have you been able to find any trace of them lately?" Xue Wuheng asked in a deep voice.
If there were someone Xue Wuheng hated the most today, it had to be the ungrateful Yang Yongxiu, who was the eldest son of the Blood Demon, Yang Tinghe. The thought of this disloyal ingrate made Xue Wuheng's teeth itch with anger.
Back when he infiltrated Tiandu to assassinate the emperor, the Blood Demon, Yang Tinghe, indeed provided some assistance, so later even when Yang Tinghe was killed by Pei Xuanjing, and the Great Ming imperial court was hunting down Yang Tinghe's family members, Xue Wuheng still intervened to cover them up, otherwise, Yang Yongxiu would never have been able to escape so easily.
Later on, even in the face of a tough character like Pei Xuanjing, he still took care of Yang Yongxiu, keeping him hidden from others and giving him the opportunity to break through the Spiritual Realm.
For such a great kindness, Xue Wuheng didn't seek repayment. However, he never expected that shortly after Yang Yongxiu broke through the Spiritual Realm, he would collude with outsiders and attempt to harm him. If it weren't for his recent surge in power, he might not have survived.
"Their tracks have been very well concealed recently, making them hard to trace." The Blood Slaughter Sovereign shook his head.
By rights, Yang Yongxiu, as the son of the Blood Demon Yang Tinghe, should have attracted many followers from the Blood Demon Sect after breaking through the spiritual realm. The Blood Slaughter Sovereign, who had long been dissatisfied with Xue Wuheng, should have left with Yang Yongxiu.
However, when Yang Tinghe was in the Blood Demon Sect, the Blood Slaughter Sovereign was one of his biggest rivals. It was precisely because of Yang Tinghe's presence that the Blood Slaughter Sovereign was forced to withdraw from the contest for the title of sect leader and became an elder of the Blood Demon Sect.
Although they both originate from the Blood Demon Sect, the Blood Slaughter Sovereign was not only not an ally of Yang Tinghe, they harbored significant enmity towards each other. If it hadn't been for Xue Wuheng's prior protection, as one of the few people in the Demonic Cult who had reached the Spiritual Realm at that time, he would have no doubt killed Yang Yongxiu, and he would not be alive today.
Afterwards, when Yang Yongxiu colluded with outsiders to try to harm Xue Wuheng, the Blood Slaughter Sovereign did not participate, but instead actively warned Xue Wuheng, disrupting the assassination attempt.
Relying on these events, the Blood Slaughter Sovereign earned Xue Wuheng's heavy favor.
The task of tracking and finding Yang Yongxiu was also handed over to him.
"Keep looking, those folks are wounded, they definitely need some elixirs to heal. Go and seek Bai Xiaosheng's help, get him to assist you," Xue Wuheng commanded in a deep voice.
After his assassination attempt, Xue Wuheng was certainly not a man to silently tolerate injustice. He quickly launched a counterattack, killing a few of them and wounding some others. Although they managed to escape and conceal their traces, their injuries were undoubtedly not easily recoverable. This was Xue Wuheng's confidence in his own powers.
Given his constant probes and searches, if they want to quickly change this situation, they need to heal their injuries and recover their strength as soon as possible. And for that, they would need some elixirs for recuperation.
However, for opponents injured by his demonic primal qi, although the herbs they need are not valuable, they are very unique. If he could control the channel of these herbs, he would be able to locate their hiding places.
But given that most of the Demonic Cult's forces are now stationed outside the border for expansion, pursuing Yang Yongxiu and his group is important, but it cannot hold up the expansion of the Demonic Cult. After all, as Heaven and Earth are reviving more and more exuberantly, people from Sky Wasteland are gradually returning. He needs to seize the opportunity as much as possible, to enhance his own strength and that of the Demonic Cult, in order to have enough say in the coming Great World. Otherwise, even if the Demonic Cult doesn't collapse, it will eventually become a vassal of others.
After all, since the Demonic Cult's spies are currently insufficient, he has to seek help from Bai Xiaosheng.
"Will this Bai Xiaosheng be willing to help us?" Blood Slaughter Sovereign frowned.
Since Bai Xiaosheng took up residence in the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, especially after he joined forces with the Taoist School, he rarely accepted commissions from various parties. Under current circumstances, he might not be willing to help. After all, from a certain perspective, the existence of Yang Yongxiu brings more benefits than harm to Bai Xiaosheng's group.
"If it were anything else, Bai Xiaosheng might just let it slide, wanting to watch us make a fool of ourselves. But he'd never ignore this matter." Xue Wuheng smiled confidently and spoke to him, "Just tell him that the people allied with Yang Yongxiu are from Sky Wasteland."
Yes, the reason Yang Yongxiu betrayed Xue Wuheng was precisely because he was swayed by the people from Sky Wasteland, aiming to overthrow Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Demonic Cult, so as to retake the Demonic Cult for himself.
At the very beginning, the people returning from Sky Wasteland chose to contact Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Demonic Cult from the Ancestral Land. They claimed to be from the Demonic Way faction in Sky Wasteland.
However, the Demonic Way factions of Sky Wasteland were all acting separately, and there was no one who could unify them, so these people were quite unhappy with the title of leader of the Demonic Cult, and they demanded that Xue Wuheng disband the Demonic Cult and submit to them, obeying their orders.
For Xue Wuheng, who had always been in a high position, how could he possibly accept such terms? It was a bigger fight than the previous one on Dragon Tiger Mountain. After all, when practitioners of the Demonic Way took action, it was almost always a fight to the death.
After a fierce fight, those Demonic Way powerhouses returning from Sky Wasteland didn't expect that Xue Wuheng, the leader of the Demonic Cult from the Ancestral Land, possessed the strength of the fourth level of the Spiritual Realm, and even used the Divine Weapon of the Demonic Cult to defeat a stronger practitioner from Sky Wasteland and kill a Demonic Way powerhouse of the fifth Spiritual Realm level.
What they thought would be an easy mission turned out to be unsuccessful, and they suffered heavy losses. These practitioners of the Demonic Way found it hard to tolerate. After all, given the behavior of the Demonic Way, failure in their mission awaited severe punishment, even if they didn't die, they would still have their skin stripped off.
For the failure of these powerhouses from the Sky Wasteland domain of the Demonic Way, they don't have many options. Almost their only way to survive would be to assassinate Xue Wuheng and complete their mission before the powerhouses from Sky Wasteland come to question and accuse them; that would enable them to make up for their previous mistakes.
That's why they bewitched Yang Yongxiu to try to assassinate Xue Wuheng but failed, also incurring significant losses.
"If it were merely Yang Yongxiu causing chaos, Bai Xiaosheng and the others would naturally dismiss it. However, the other party has colluded with the people from Sky Wasteland, they have undoubtedly violated the taboo of Pei Xuanjing and the others, Bai Xiaosheng would definitely not tolerate it." Xue Wuheng confidently said.
He has heard a bit about the events on Dragon Tiger Mountain and has a clear understanding of Bai Xiaosheng and the others' attitudes towards those who have returned from Sky Wasteland.
If those people behave well, they wouldn't bother. But since these people want to disrupt the current situation, Bai Xiaosheng will absolutely not tolerate it. That's also why Xue Wuheng confidently made his move.
Now, colluding with Yang Yongxiu to plot against him is no doubt disrupting the world's order, Bai Xiaosheng is bound to take action.
"Your subordinate obeys." The Blood Slaughter Sovereign accepted the command and left.
…
Tiandu, Imperial Astronomical Observatory in the Imperial City.
Upon receiving the request sent by his subordinate from the Demonic Cult, Bai Xiaosheng's expression was indifferent, his face calm, and he showed no emotion.
After a long while, he revealed a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth, saying, "That Xue Wuheng is crafty. He himself can't catch the culprits, but he managed to shift the responsibility to me, trying to drag us into the water."
Sitting in this Imperial Astronomical Observatory, although he never leaves, he practically has a full understanding of all affairs in the world. As for the incidents within the Demonic Cult, Bai Xiaosheng is undoubtedly crystal clear.
Therefore, the instant he got this news, he instantly understood Xue Wuheng's intentions – Xue Wuheng wanted to use others to do his dirty work.
"However, they do know how to seize an opportunity. At least, we don't have a reason to refuse." Daoist Xuanming said with a smile.
He initially came into the Observatory to discuss some things with Bai Xiaosheng. He did not expect to run into news of Xue Wuheng asking for help.
Daoist Xuanming harbored no resistance towards Xue Wuheng's request for their intervention to apprehend Yang Yongxiui and track down the guilty parties, but instead was quite pleased.
At the time of the Great Morning Meeting, even though the person who killed the Blood Demon, Yang Tinghe, was Pei Xuanjing, what Pei Xuanjing represented at the time was not only himself, but the entire Taoist School, the will of their entire Taoist Alliance.
It can be said that, if Yang Yongxiu truly seeks revenge, the people he would seek revenge from when he gained power would not only be Pei Xuanjing, but also all the individuals involved at the time.
Yang Yongxiu's sudden rise during this period has stirred up many waves of unrest. Although Pei Xuanjing is indifferent and considers Yang Yongxiu as insignificant as an ant, the other powerhouses from the Taoist School would rather not see Yang Yongxiu continue to exist.
Now, Xue Wuheng's active moves have undoubtedly given them a good excuse. They don't need to act on their own, but just help a little, and then they can get rid of the party involved.
"If it was just one person, I might also do like Brother Pei and let him live and die as he pleases without interfering." Bai Xiaosheng leisurely spoke, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "But what he absolutely should not have done is collude with the forces of Sky Wasteland, stir up storms and attempt to disrupt the current world order."
Just like Pei Xuanjing, Bai Xiaosheng initially didn't care about Yang Yongxiu's existence. As long as the latter didn't provoke him, he wouldn't mind at all.
However, as Xue Wuheng conjectured, the most important thing for Bai Xiaosheng right now is stability. He hopes that the entire world remains stable as it is now, small-scale friction is acceptable, but no large-scale chaos can be allowed.
Yet, Yang Yongxiu has unexpectedly allied himself with the powerhouses of the Sky Wasteland Demonic Way to assassinate Xue Wuheng, which could cause the recently unified Demonic Cult to fall apart again and descend into chaos. This is something Bai Xiaosheng cannot tolerate.
"Now that the Demonic Cult has just unified, only Xue Wuheng could suppress those ambitious fellows. If Xue Wuheng dies, I'm afraid the entire Demonic Cult would crumble, and even a few states may fall into chaos." Daoist Xuanming lamented.
Although the people of the Demonic Cult have been low-key for several centuries, for these powerhouses, no one has ever dared to take them lightly. After all, while they may not be able to accomplish much, if they are set on creating havoc, that can be a headache.
The most important thing at the moment is to seize time and improve one's own strengths to handle the situation after the forces of Sky Wasteland return.
Even now, if the strength of the Taoist School overpowered the Demonic Cult and they directly engaged, even a victorious outcome would be a pyrrhic victory. It would delay their time and slow down the speed of their growth, affecting the future. This is not something they want to see.
Therefore, the best situation is to let Xue Wuheng continue to lead the Demonic Cult and restrain these strong men of the Demonic Cult. Then, they can seize the time to enhance their strength, which is the best method.
"There isn't much time left. According to the original prediction and observation of the people in the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, even if the restoration speed of heaven and earth has already slowed down, in no more than thirty years, even if the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi does not reach its peak limit, at that time perhaps the powerhouses from the Nine Realms of Spirit may still not be able to fully exert their power, but it will be sufficient to allow them to return from the Sky Wasteland." Bai Xiaosheng spoke gravely.
The supreme entities from the Nine Realms of Spirit – the extent of their power was something that they had never truly witnessed, most of the information had been obtained from those who had returned from Sky Wasteland.
Compared with the reality of such information, the discrepancy would be huge, possibly only one-tenth of what was described. However, even so, hearing such descriptions had given Bai Xiaosheng a considerable shock.
Not to mention others, just talking about himself, Bai Xiaosheng's current lineage had completely diverged from those in Sky Wasteland, and he had personally killed a strong man of his lineage (or now of the Sky Mechanism Pavilion) who had returned from Sky Wasteland. The two sides had already completely fallen out.
And it's rumored that Sky Mechanism Pavilion's lineage in Sky Wasteland is a top-tier force. The so-called Master Tianji is a supreme being from the Nine Realms of Spirit, which has put great pressure on Bai Xiaosheng.
Within the short timeframe of less than thirty years, he needs to improve his abilities to give himself a better assurance to face the upcoming catastrophe. If he fails, death is certain.
So, the current Bai Xiaosheng is under immense pressure, waiting for the people from Sky Mechanism Monastery to return from Sky Wasteland. Even if Master Tianji will not personally take action, the Sky Mechanism Moasnetry has accumulated countless powerhouses over the countless years. With his current strength, even if he were to face a powerhouse from the Spirit Realm Sixth Level, there would still not be a guarantee of victory.
"Will the people of the Sky Wasteland be able to return in about thirty years' time?" Pei Xuanjing glanced at the information relayed by Bai Xiaosheng, with a hint of sternness flaring in his eyes.
Upon stepping into the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm, Pei Xuanjing should, in theory, have an even clearer perception of Heaven and Earth. However, due to his control over the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, imbued with an abundance of Qi Luck and graced by Heaven's favor, he was unaffected by the rejection of Heaven and Earth, leaving his comprehension of the revival of Heaven and Earth somewhat vague.
After receiving this information from Bai Xiaosheng, Pei Xuanjing could not help but feel slightly surprised.
"Thirty years' time, for me, should actually be sufficient. Nevertheless, for the rest of the factions, perhaps it might feel rushed," Pei Xuanjing immediately thought of the situation of the other factions.
At present, he had already achieved the sixth turn of the Golden Core and had entered the seventh level of the Spiritual Realm, unbothered by any competitors at this level. Clasping the supplementary volume of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, even an opponent at the eightfold of the Spirit Realm may prove a worthy challenge, and the outcome of a fight to the death would remain uncertain.
Perhaps, only the most powerful beings at the Nine Realms of Spirit would be capable of posing a threat to his life and suppressing him.
However, if things go smoothly in the coming thirty years, Pei Xuanjing could perhaps simulate several lifetimes, advancing his strength even further and alleviating any lingering worries.
Even if Pei Xuanging's strength does not improve over the next thirty years, his existing power should be enough for him to have considerable influence in the upcoming Great World.
But, if that is the case, he will only be able to ensure his own survival and would be unable to shelter the Taoist Schools and martial artists of the world. His dreams and plans will then be lost to the winds.
As for the other factions, even though Pei Xuanjing had high hopes for their talents and comprehension, cultivation still follows a basic principle – advancing through the Nine Realms of Spirit is like climbing the heavens, where every level of progression is arduously hard earned.
The rapid cultivation of the Old Heavenly Master and others is due to the foundational accumulation they gained before the revival of Heaven and Earth. Only under the condition of rich accumulation and broad exploitation could they soar to the skies.
However, such accumulations are not infinite and will eventually be exhausted one day.
In Pei Xuanjing's view, these accumulations could at most support their cultivation until the Spirit Realm Sixth Level. If there was no great fortune, it would be difficult to progress to the Spirit Realm Seventh Level within thirty years.
The Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm was a significant hurdle. At this stage, each cultivator begins to consolidate their own Tao and starts to ascend to the heavens, exploring the undying and immortal Path.
Of course, this was Pei Xuanjing's current understanding of them, but each of these individuals was highly reserved, perhaps all possessing hidden talents unknown to others.
Just like Bai Xiaosheng, who dominated his lineage and wielded an unknown number of secrets, planning God knows what. Why he chose to rebel upon learning that a strong Nine Realms of Spirit figure was seated in the Sky Wasteland was something Pei Xuanjing had no knowledge of.
"Though all of us have banded together, we each have our own visions and plans. As long as our respective plans do not collide, this alliance can continue to exist," Daoist Xuanming said to Bai Xiaosheng.
He appeared indifferent, but his words carried profound meanings.
However, everyone reluctantly accepted what he said – there was no flaw in his words.
The Taoist Alliance, originally formed by Pei Xuanjing and others in order to break the seal of Heaven and Earth and then facilitate the ascension of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, had evolved into a massive entity after several decades, gathering countless strong and skilled individuals.
Especially under the suppression of Pei Xuanjing, the "World's No.1", the reputation of the Taoist League was as renowned as the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, if not slightly more so in certain aspects.
Notwithstanding, to common martial artists at the bottom, the Taoist Alliance appeared indivisible. However, other strong forces in the world, including the powerful members within the Taoist Alliance, all knew very well that the Taoist League was not as united as many people saw it to be.
They united simply because their interests aligned, aiming for their own goals.
For instance, in the beginning, everyone longed to break the seal of Heaven and Earth and sought to attain higher levels of cultivation. Then there was the plan of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, where factions joined together to strive for Divine Positions.
But until now, aside from preparing for the power shifts that the returning forces from Sky Wasteland could potentially cause, there was essentially no common goal anymore.
The present Taoist Alliance, though still in alliance, was no longer the same as before, especially when Pei Xuanjing's strength kept increasing rapidly.
While Pei Xuanjing's formidable strength could shelter them from threats from the Sky Wasteland, allowing them to carry the banner and not be completely passive, the increasingly stronger Pei Xuanjing, on the other hand, became a lingering shadow that was difficult to dissipate, forever overhanging above the heads of many members of the Taoist Alliance.
"So you are saying that now you find his existence to greatly influence you?" Hearing Daoist Xuanming's words, Bai Xiaosheng sneered, "I used to think that those from the Buddhism School were hypocrites. But now, I realize that you are no different. It's no wonder that throughout the ages, your Taoist School and Buddhism School were well-matched and equal rivals. You are all the same, pretending to be virtuous while doing otherwise."
He knew very well where Daoist Xuanming and the others' worries lay. Despite that, while these people were enjoying the benefits brought by Pei Xuanjing's existence, they were also fretting over the influence he exerted. It seemed like they were enjoying the meal while cursing the cook.
Bai Xiaosheng was astounded by such shamelessness. Now, he finally understood why, for thousands of years, the Taoist School and Buddhism School could stay on par while the Demonic Cult remained suppressed.
Upon hearing Bai Xiaosheng's sarcasm, Daoist Xuanming was not annoyed. His face still bore a plain expression as he sighed, "Sir, there's no need for such scathing mockery. I know full well how unfair my actions are. Yet, due to the matter concerning the succession of my school, I dare not become the slightest bit sluggish. Even if it does mean carrying infamy, it has to be done."
Daoist Xuanming indeed felt a great deal of distress. He and Pei Xuanjing had been acquainted for several decades and could be considered like-minded friends of the Immortal Path.
However, beyond being a cultivator, Daoist Xuanming was also the head of Baiyun Temple, bearing the burden of ensuring continuity for Baiyun Temple, with many disciples relying on him.
Therefore, Daoist Xuanming had to do what was needed, even if it meant earning some infamy.