Chương 107: 1.104 In Which Ning Learns the "If I'm Going Down, You're Coming With Me" Technique

The main council hall of the Pure Qi Sect had not been used for a full session in years. It wasn't for lack of things worth arguing about. A sect with tens of thousands of disciples, multiple halls, affiliated cities, outer valleys, medicine gardens, beast fields, mines, and trade routes could always find something to fight over if people were bored enough. But most problems never made it this far. A troubled city could be handled by a Foundation Establishment elder.

An underperforming mine went to the Resource Hall, unruly disciples to the Discipline Hall, and escaped beasts to the Beast Hall, whose members would complain the entire time that nobody else appreciated the wild nature of the beasts. A full council meant the sect itself had been shaken. Tonight, it had been shaken badly enough that even old men supposedly in death seclusion had dragged their bones out of their meditation chambers to attend.

Five Purple Mansion cultivators sat within the hall, with twenty peak Foundation Establishment cultivators beneath them. These were not ordinary elders, but hall masters, former hall masters, protectors of affiliated cities, guardians of forbidden grounds, and old cultivators who had long since withdrawn from public affairs. Above them all, seated at the head of the hall with one leg crossed and his sword resting against his chair, was Sect Master Ge Xuan.

At first glance, he hardly looked like the man who held the highest authority in the Pure Qi Sect. His white robes were slightly disheveled, his hair looked as though he had tied it back with little more than his fingers, and he clearly hadn't bothered making himself presentable before calling the meeting. There was a reason people called him the Carefree Sword. Ge Xuan had never cared much for appearances or the dignified airs expected of someone in his position.

Unfortunately for everyone sitting before him, carefree did not mean careless, and tonight he was very much paying attention. A jade table floated in the center of the hall, projecting a map of the Pure Qi Sect's territory above it. Mountains, rivers, trade roads, affiliated cities, spiritual mines, medicine valleys, beast pastures, mortal towns, and border regions spread across the projection, with red points marking every place that had been attacked, damaged, infiltrated, or cut off during the rebellion.

There were quite a few of them. Yun Feifei sat among the Purple Mansion elders, her face pale but composed. Her injuries had been temporarily suppressed, and a faint medicinal fragrance still clung to her robes. It was proof the Alchemy Hall and Spiritual Doctors had poured good pills and treatment into her the moment she left the battlefield. Beside her sat Fu Xuan, head of the Alchemy Hall and Ling Xin's master.

At a glance, she looked like nothing more than a gentle old woman, silver hair pinned neatly with a jade hairpin, robes plain and clean, expression mild enough that younger disciples lowered their voices around her without quite knowing why. Simply put, she looked like someone's nice old grandma. Only the ones who'd been around long enough understood that Fu Xuan was one of the last Purple Mansion elders in the sect you wanted to offend.

Cross an alchemist, and you could say goodbye to their pills, and the higher the tier you needed, the fewer alchemists existed anywhere willing or able to make them for you. On Fu Xuan's other side sat Elder Guo Rui of the Formation Hall, a thin old man with long black-and-white hair, sunken cheeks, and a pale film over both eyes. Blind as he was, tiny formation marks revolved slowly around his pupils, letting him read spiritual structures more clearly than most people with working sight ever could.

Next to him was Elder Han Zong of the Weapon Refining Hall. He was broad-shouldered, dark-skinned, with burn scars running the length of one arm, a hammer-shaped jade pendant at his waist. He looked more like a blacksmith than a high elder, which was, in every practical sense, exactly what he was. Beside him sat Elder Qiu Man of the Talisman Hall, narrow-eyed, ink-stained fingers, a fan of blank talisman paper resting across her lap.

Even sitting perfectly still, her spiritual sense kept tracing runes in the air, as though she couldn't stand to waste a moment in which a new one might occur to her. Last among the Purple Mansion elders was Luo Shengtian, current head of Discipline Hall. He had iron-gray hair, square features, a face set in lines rigid enough that people called him the Stone-Faced Asura, the kind of man whose glare alone could make a crying child fall silent. The seat that should have belonged to Lei Fu remained empty.

No one looked at it for long. Ge Xuan tapped one finger on the armrest.

"Everyone. Report on the situation." The words came out casually, but the atmosphere in the hall turned solemn instantly. Luo Shengtian rose first.

"Casualties are still being counted. As of the latest confirmed report, twelve outer disciples are dead, two inner disciples are dead, and one Foundation Establishment elder died holding the western beast corridor. Two hundred and thirty-six disciples suffered moderate to severe injuries." A quiet pressure settled over the hall. Luo Shengtian continued, "The escaped prisoners caused the most damage in the lower sect, the outer training district, the northern gardens... and the kitchen courtyard."

Ge Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"The kitchen courtyard?" An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator gave an awkward cough.

"The kitchen disciples held their ground. They protected the soup-" He caught himself, correcting course.

"I mean. They protected the sect." Silence. Every elder at the table turned to look at him, expressions utterly speechless. Ge Xuan, however, merely nodded in understanding.

"Well, that's good." He rested his chin on one hand.

"Make sure those disciples are properly rewarded. Protecting the sect's meals is important too. A hungry sect can't fight."

"Ah. Thank you." The Foundation Establishment elder bowed, visibly relieved. Luo Shengtian continued as if the exchange had never happened.

"Most prisoners have been recaptured. Those killed in combat are being identified. Any prisoner who escaped their assigned district is being reclassified as hostile unless evidence proves coercion. Discipline Hall has already sealed thirty-two disciples suspected of colluding with Lei Fu's faction." Yun Feifei's fingers tightened slightly. Luo Shengtian's eyes moved toward the empty seat.

"As for Lei Fu, he's still alive. His cultivation has been sealed, his Purple Mansion suppressed, and the inner demon temporarily separated from him. He's currently being held in the Nine-Lock Heavenly Shackles." Guo Rui gave a slow nod.

"I have also looked into the formation to make sure Lei Fu could not influence it. Though if Lei Fu wakes up and the inner demon reforms, the prison will require constant reinforcement." Ge Xuan leaned back.

"Then reinforce it." Guo Rui's mouth twitched.

"As the Sect Master commands." Luo Shengtian let out a low snort.

"It would be far simpler if we just killed him." His expression darkened.

"Our leniency toward Lei Shen is precisely what led to today's disaster. If we'd killed him back then, none of this would've happened." His gaze swept across the hall.

"If you ask this old man, the same goes for the Foundation Establishment prisoners. As long as they're alive with their cultivation intact, they're ticking time bombs. One mistake, one overlooked opportunity, and history will repeat itself." Yun Feifei lowered her gaze, unable to find the words to argue. Even she couldn't deny the lesson the sect had paid for in blood.

"... That's a little extreme, even for you," Guo Rui said, looking at the old grand elder with surprise. Luo Shengtian snorted.

"Extreme? We buried disciples today." His voice hardened.

"To hell with politics and appearances. Mercy is a luxury reserved for those who can afford failure." He swept a cold gaze across the room.

"Lei Fu was a traitor. Lei Shen was a traitor. How many more chances are we supposed to give before we admit we've learned nothing?" The hall fell silent. Lei Fu had served as a Purple Mansion grand elder of the Pure Qi Sect for many years. He had guarded against beast tides, taught disciples, raised spirit beasts, repaired damaged bloodline contracts, and stood on the front lines when rival forces tested the sect's borders.

None of that excused his betrayal, especially after sparing Lei Shen had nearly brought disaster upon the entire sect, but decades of service could not simply be forgotten either. As the saying went, betrayal did not erase the past; it only poisoned it. Fu Xuan sighed softly.

"That decision can wait until interrogation. Not to mention, killing or even crippling a Purple Mansion cultivator before extracting the full truth would be wasteful." Luo Shengtian looked ready to argue further when Ge Xuan cut in.

"See?" He nodded toward Fu Xuan.

"That's why I find alchemists scarier than swordsmen. They smile while suggesting things that make even me hesitate." Fu Xuan smiled politely.

"Sect Master gives me too much credit."

"No," Ge Xuan replied.

"In fact, I give you too little credit, Thousand Pill Mistress." The room stayed quiet, but the exchange loosened the suffocating atmosphere by a small degree. Qiu Man flicked her fingers, and several talisman lights rose from her lap.

"The more urgent question is the demonic figure. The projection's qi was recorded through three viewing talismans, two formation residues, and Elder Yun's personal account. It was indeed demonic path qi, and extremely pure. Not the scattered resentment of an evil cultivator, not corpse qi, not even beast-blood corruption. It belonged to a proper demonic inheritance." Luo Shengtian's face darkened.

"Dark Soul Sect." The Dark Soul Sect was one of the five great Golden Core sects of the Azure River Domain, alongside the Pure Qi Sect, with both ultimately under the Heavenly River Sect, the Nascent Soul overlord of the domain. The name alone caused several peak Foundation Establishment elders to shift in their seats. Long before Ge Xuan reached Golden Core, the Pure Qi Sect had gone through a period of weakness.

Its previous sect master was dead, many of its strongest elders had been wounded in the Northern Rift Beast Tide, and for nearly twenty years, there had been no Golden Core cultivator openly holding the sect together. The Dark Soul Sect had taken full advantage of it. They corrupted border families, bought loose cultivators, planted spies in affiliated cities, and stirred up demonic beasts throughout the outer territories, slowly tightening a noose around the Pure Qi Sect without ever declaring war outright.

The elders of that generation had barely managed to hold them back until Ge Xuan's rise to Golden Core finally forced the Dark Soul Sect to retreat. Han Zong slapped one heavy hand against his chair.

"It smells like them. Hiding in the shadows, using traitors, stirring up old grudges, attacking our foundation instead of fighting openly. That's exactly the Dark Soul Sect's stink." Guo Rui slowly shook his head.

"Possibly, but it's not certain. Dark Soul Sect specializes in soul manipulation and corpse control. The projection this time carried demonic qi, yes, but the spatial method was unusually refined. Their people prefer possession, curses, and soul seeds; we have not seen such refined spatial and projection abilities from them." Qiu Man nodded.

"I agree. The talisman residue showed folding-space patterns. Whoever projected that figure had an understanding of spatial transmission or possessed a treasure capable of it." One old peak Foundation elder frowned.

"Then is it the Yin Mirage Palace?" At that name, several people looked thoughtful. Yin Mirage Palace was another regional Golden-Core power, known for its illusions, dream techniques, and false projections. They were not openly demonic, but no one trusted them. Their disciples could swear sincerity while standing behind three layers of illusion and a fourth layer of plausible deniability. They were sneaky like that. Fu Xuan said, "Yin Mirage Palace has motive.

They have always coveted our medicine trade in the Azure Central City. If Pure Qi Sect weakened, their merchant families would advance immediately." Another elder said, "What about Burning River Valley? They lost three mines to us eighty years ago." Han Zong sneered.

"Burning River Valley isn't subtle. They would have arrived in full force if they wanted to harm us." Qiu Man added, "There is also White Crane Mountain. They may act refined, but they have been eyeing our beast-taming valley for years." Yun Feifei shook her head.

"White Crane Mountain would not use Lei Fu this way unless they were certain they could claim the Great Spirit Willow afterward. Their methods focus on beast contracts." As for the final Golden Core power in the Azure River Domain, Yin Yang Palace, it rarely involved itself in disputes with the Pure Qi Sect. They were far too occupied with the profound mysteries of dual cultivation.

Their disciples were, by all accounts, the busiest cultivators in the entire domain, and given their activities, there was a damn good reason why. Ge Xuan simply listened, resting one hand on the hilt of the sword beside his chair. Only after the voices gradually died down did he speak.

"It wasn't Jia Muchen." The hall fell silent. Jia Muchen was the archenemy of the sect, the Golden Core patriarch of the Dark Soul Sect. Luo Shengtian turned toward him.

"Sect Master is certain?" Ge Xuan nodded.

"I know Jia Muchen's qi." He tapped the sheath of his sword absentmindedly.

"I cut him rather badly a few years ago. Unless he stumbled across a heaven-defying opportunity, he should still be stuck in the mid-stage of Golden Core, with half his spiritual sea patched together like a leaky roof." A few elders exchanged glances. Ge Xuan continued calmly, "The projection tonight carried a stronger presence than that." Fu Xuan's brows rose slightly.

"Stronger?"

"Most likely late-stage Golden Core," Ge Xuan replied.

"Or someone using a treasure capable of projecting late-stage pressure." He gave a small shrug.

"Either way, it wasn't Jia Muchen." Rather than apprehension, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Well..." he said almost casually, "it's been a while since I've crossed swords with someone interesting." The hall became truly silent. Only the sect master would be excited to face an opponent like that. But for them, a late-stage Golden Core demonic cultivator was not a small matter. In the entire Azure River Domain, aside from the Heavenly River Sect, Golden Core cultivators already stood at the pinnacle of visible power.

A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could establish and rule over a small sect. A Purple Mansion cultivator could dominate an entire region, founding clans and commanding thousands. A single Golden Core cultivator, however, was enough to tip the balance between the five great sects of the domain. Their decisions determined the rise and fall of cities, the ownership of spirit mines, and, at times, the fate of countless lives. Guo Rui's voice grew dry.

"If that is true, then this is no longer simply an internal rebellion."

"It never was in the first place," Luo Shengtian said coldly.

"Which is precisely why Lei Fu must receive the harshest punishment possible. Mercy toward traitors breeds more traitors. If we don't make an example of him, those with wandering hearts inside the sect may begin entertaining dangerous thoughts." Qiu Man quietly folded her talisman fan before speaking.

"I believe Elder Luo is right about one thing." Her calm gaze swept across the hall.

"The enemy's true objective was never simply to free prisoners." Several elders looked toward her.

"Everything points toward the Heavenly Origin Tower." She tapped the closed fan lightly against her palm.

"The timing of the attack, the blood ritual, the disturbance of the tower's seal, and even Lei Shen's imprisonment... every thread converges there." Fu Xuan said, "Or they intended to take over the Pure Qi Sect through Lei Fu and Lei Shen. If Lei Shen returned, Lei Fu controlled the Beast Hall, the formation core remained corrupted, and the Great Spirit Willow obeyed them, the sect would have been forced into surrender or civil collapse." Han Zong grunted.

"Weakening us may have been enough. Even if they failed to control the sect, damaging our top forces would invite wolves from every side." Another peak Foundation elder added, "They could also have been commissioned." Several gazes turned toward him. He continued carefully, "The other great sects may not want to act openly against us while Sect Master lives. But hiring a demonic Golden Core to stir up internal betrayal, break the tower, and cripple our elders would let them deny involvement afterward."

Luo Shengtian's eyes sharpened.

"Tsk, they truly are an obstacle." It was mere suspicion, but one that couldn't be ignored. Ge Xuan rested his chin on one hand for a moment before speaking.

"Then I'll just pay each of them a visit." His tone was as casual as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather.

"A conversation, perhaps a few exchanges. My Sword Heart should be able to tell if someone's hiding something." The hall froze in an instant. Ge Xuan went straight to the nuclear option. Guo Rui cleared his throat.

"... Sect Master, when you say 'a few exchanges,' are you referring to a discussion or a fight?" Ge Xuan looked faintly offended.

"How rude. I was thinking of a friendly spar." A collective sigh spread through the hall. Luo Shengtian pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sect Master, with all due respect, there is no such thing as a 'friendly spar' when you are involved. If you walk into another Golden Core sect carrying your sword, the entire Azure River Domain will assume the Pure Qi Sect is declaring war." If even Luo Shengtian, who despised the other sects more than anyone present, was trying to stop him, then the matter was undoubtedly serious. Ge Xuan blinked, leaned back in his chair, and let out a sigh.

"Huh. That does complicate things." Then, he continued.

"For now, assume all possibilities remain open. Dark Soul Sect has the ugliest history with us, Yin Mirage Palace has the projection methods, White Crane Mountain has interest in the beast valley, Burning River Valley benefits if our mine routes weaken, and some unknown demonic faction may be fishing in muddy water. Until we catch a tail, do not bite randomly." Luo Shengtian cupped his hands.

"Understood." Ge Xuan looked toward Guo Rui.

"Next. Let's talk about Heavenly Origin Tower." Guo Rui's expression became more severe.

"The tower is stable now, but there was damage caused by the sudden loss of formations. Lei Shen's ritual reached deeper than we expected. The prison seal, tower authority, sect formation core, and old founders array were all linked in ways our current Formation Hall had not fully mapped." That statement caused several elders to look embarrassed. The Heavenly Origin Tower was the sect's greatest treasure, but also its oldest mystery.

Everyone knew it protected the sect, tested disciples, stored inheritances, and suppressed certain sealed threats. Far fewer knew exactly how its deeper mechanisms worked. Qiu Man shook her head.

"Our records preserved the procedures, but not the reasoning behind them." Fu Xuan frowned.

"And because the tower had worked without issue for generations, no one thought to question those procedures." A grim silence followed. Yun Feifei lowered her gaze.

"Teach-Lei Fu exploited that." Guo Rui nodded heavily.

"So, with outside guidance, he found a path through our blind spots." Ge Xuan's expression grew colder.

"Then, the solution is simple: we stop having blind spots." When Ge Xuan said that, his eyes lingered on Guo Rui. Guo Rui straightened in an instant.

"Formation Hall will conduct a complete remapping of the Heavenly Origin Tower's external arrays, prison connections, and links to the sect-protecting formation. I request support from Talisman Hall, Weapon Refining Hall, and Discipline Hall." Qiu Man nodded.

"Talisman Hall will provide rune masters and recording talismans." Han Zong said, "Weapon Refining Hall will inspect the tower's artifact anchors and chain nodes." Luo Shengtian added, "Discipline Hall will revise guard rotations, prison access authority, and elder-level entry rules. No single hall will hold complete control again."

Several peak Foundation elders began presenting reports, one after another, offering data from different battle zones: where the formation had delayed, which nodes had turned red first, which beasts had broken control marks, which prisoners had been released by external force, and which disciples had acted suspiciously before the riot began. The Purple Mansion cultivators led the discussion, while the peak Foundation Establishment elders listened in silence.

Only when the conversation touched upon matters within their expertise did they speak. After the tower discussion ended, Ge Xuan tapped the jade table again.

"Now, next, let's talk about the rewards for those who performed well." The elders looked at each other on this topic. Luo Shengtian was the first to speak.

"The Discipline Hall has already begun compiling a list of everyone who distinguished themselves during the battle. The number is... considerable."

"Good." Ge Xuan nodded.

"If someone deserving was overlooked, make the list longer." Before anyone else could continue, a soft cough echoed through the hall. Everyone instinctively turned toward Elder Shen Kuo. The elderly treasury minister hadn't said a single word yet, but his expression already looked as though someone had personally stabbed his ledger. Ge Xuan noticed it immediately.

"Elder Shen."

"... Sect Master."

"Stop looking like I'm about to rob you." A few smiles appeared around the hall at Ge Xuan's crudeness. Shen Kuo sighed helplessly before folding his sleeves together.

"Sect Master, the treasury suffered losses during the riot. Several storage halls require reconstruction, compensation for the injured has yet to be calculated, the families of the deceased must also be supported, and if we empty the treasury too quickly-" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"People bled for this sect." Ge Xuan's voice wasn't loud. Yet Shen Kuo stopped speaking at once. The easy smile never left Ge Xuan's face, but nobody mistook it for softness.

"If disciples are willing to stake their lives for the sect, then the sect should never hesitate to spend its wealth on them." Shen Kuo slowly inclined his head.

"Understood."

"Good." Ge Xuan leaned back comfortably.

"Draft the rewards. Spirit stones, pills, contribution points, healing resources, compensation for the families of the fallen, and additional cultivation resources for anyone who performed beyond their station. Every hall that held its ground gets proper recognition as well." He paused for a moment before adding, "The kitchen courtyard too." Shen Kuo's brush halted halfway across the page.

"... The kitchen courtyard?"

"The soup survived." Several elders had to fight to keep straight faces. Shen Kuo lowered his head with another weary sigh.

"If that's what the sect master wants."

"Good," Ge Xuan said with complete seriousness.

"Anyone who keeps the sect fed during such hard times deserves recognition." The light remark eased the mood considerably, and even the elders who had spent the entire meeting wearing grim expressions found themselves relaxing by a fraction. Once the reward tiers, compensation, and reconstruction funds had been settled, the discussion naturally arrived at the two names everyone had been waiting for. Xiao Fan. Ji Ning.

Neither name had been spoken aloud yet, but more than one elder had already shifted their gaze toward the center of the hall. Yun Feifei was the one who said them first.

"The greatest individual merits among the younger generation belong to Xiao Fan and Ji Ning. Without them, I would not have had the motivation to go on." No one disagreed. They could not. The water mirrors had shown too much. Xiao Fan had confronted Lei Shen directly, buying the sect the precious time it needed. With the aid of the Tower Spirit, he overcame the possessed vessel and ultimately severed the blood ritual at its source.

Ji Ning, meanwhile, slew Mei Long, one of the enemy's strongest combatants, preventing further casualties. Throughout the battle, he repeatedly turned impossible situations into victories and played a crucial role in supporting Xiao Fan until the ritual was broken. Han Zong stroked his beard, his usually stern face carrying a rare hint of satisfaction. Compared to his talkative disciple, He Shou, he was a man of few words.

"The sect has produced two remarkable disciples." Ge Xuan chuckled.

"Indeed. I looked through their records in the Heavenly Origin Tower." He shook his head with an amused smile.

"To think they'd even surpass my own record. That's not something you see every day." Fu Xuan's eyes curved slightly.

"One of them is my grand-disciple. So, it's natural they will shine." Several elders glanced at her. Fu Xuan's smile remained gentle.

"So I advise everyone to speak carefully." Ge Xuan laughed. Luo Shengtian raised a jade slip.

"We have investigated their backgrounds again. Xiao Fan entered the sect with a defective spiritual root, suffered suppression from several factions, but repeatedly survived dangerous encounters and displayed unusual combat growth. He has close ties with Xiao Qing, who herself is already a Foundation Establishment genius. His recent performance suggests that he has obtained a considerable opportunity, especially considering the number of earth-grade martial arts he has displayed." No one looked surprised.

After what they had seen, pretending Xiao Fan was ordinary would be insulting everyone's intelligence. An old peak Foundation Establishment elder frowned slightly.

"Earth-grade techniques are not cabbages on the roadside. Even direct disciples may not possess so many. Heaven-Shattering Fist, that movement art, his body-refining method, the flexibility technique… one or two could be explained by luck, but this many?" Another elder added in a lower voice, "There is also the matter of the Heavenly Origin Tower. The tower spirit said that some of the internal seals must be replaced, and that the Heavenly Origin Orb will no longer be produced for the foreseeable future.

Such a change cannot be small." The moment those words appeared, the hall became quieter. The Heavenly Origin Orb was one of the most important and most beneficial things for the disciples. If the tower would no longer produce it, then something fundamental inside the tower had changed. Guo Rui finally couldn't help but ask.

"Sect Master, forgive this old man's boldness, but could it be that Xiao Fan obtained some inheritance connected to that change?" Formations and seals had always been closely intertwined. As a Purple Mansion cultivator who had spent his life pursuing the Dao of Formations, Guo Rui had long wished to study the tower's ancient seals. Unfortunately, he had never been granted the opportunity. Several elders glanced toward Ge Xuan. Xiao Fan had stood at the center of the final ritual.

He had entered the deepest prison, confronted Lei Shen directly, and drawn the Tower Spirit's personal intervention. Now, in the aftermath, the Heavenly Origin Tower required its internal seals to be replaced, and the Heavenly Origin Orb would cease to exist. Guo Rui lowered his voice further.

"This old man does not mean to accuse the boy. It is only that the Heavenly Origin Tower has never reacted this way in recorded history. If something was taken, inherited, or transferred…" Before he could finish, Ge Xuan laughed. The sound was not mocking exactly, but it carried enough amusement that several elders immediately realized they had probably been thinking in the wrong direction.

"Taken?" Ge Xuan leaned back in his chair, one hand resting lazily near his sword.

"Elder Guo, you make it sound as if the Heavenly Origin Tower is a merchant stall, and Xiao Fan walked in, pointed at the best treasure, and carried it away." Guo Rui's expression stiffened slightly. Ge Xuan smiled.

"The tower is older than all of us combined. Its spirit may act childish sometimes, but the tower itself is not stupid. If the seals need replacing, that means the tower used something it had been storing for a long time. If the Heavenly Origin Orb will no longer be produced, that means the price of repairing the situation was heavy." Mo Zhen's cloudy eyes shifted faintly.

"Sect Master means the tower may have expended the Heavenly Origin Orb to suppress or resolve Lei Shen's matter?"

"Most likely," Ge Xuan said.

"Or to stabilize whatever Lei Shen damaged. Or to prevent the ritual from tearing through the tower's deeper authority. Or to help those two brats survive something they had no business surviving. There are many possibilities." He tapped his sword sheath once.

"But that does not mean Xiao Fan obtained the secret inheritance." Another elder hesitated.

"Then the rumors regarding the fifth inheritance…" Ge Xuan laughed again.

"The fifth inheritance?" He looked around the hall as if the entire matter was becoming more entertaining by the moment.

"You people really dare to think big." The hall went silent. Ge Xuan's smile remained, but his eyes sharpened slightly.

"The founder himself never fully comprehended that inheritance. At most, he brushed against its threshold and left behind records of what he saw. That thing was not truly created by our Pure Qi Sect, nor can it be claimed easily. It is buried deep within the Heavenly Origin Tower, and whether it appears has never been something the sect can decide." Several elders held their breath.

Ge Xuan continued, "When I entered the tower back then, I climbed higher than anyone else in my generation, and even I was not given the slightest chance to glimpse it. The tower simply made it very clear that I was not qualified." No one spoke. That statement carried more weight than any explanation. If even Ge Xuan, the greatest genius the Pure Qi Sect had produced in generations, had never been allowed to glimpse it, then claiming Xiao Fan had somehow obtained the inheritance was indeed a stretch.

Ge Xuan glanced toward Guo Rui.

"So if any of you think a Qi Condensation disciple simply stumbled into the deepest secret of the Heavenly Origin Tower and walked out with the inheritance that even the founder never truly mastered, then I have to ask whether you think the tower is incompetent, or whether you think I am." Guo Rui immediately cupped his hands.

"This old man spoke rashly." Ge Xuan waved a hand dismissively.

"You were only asking a question. That's what this council is for." He smiled faintly before adding, "Just don't let a question become a rumor. Those are much harder to put back where they belong." Guo Rui lowered his head.

"This old man understands." Fu Xuan smiled mildly.

"Sect Master is right. The tower's deeper inheritances have never belonged to the sect in the ordinary sense. If they could be taken so easily, the Pure Qi Sect would not have waited until now." Mo Zhen nodded slowly.

"Then we can only say Xiao Fan may have benefited from the tower's intervention, not that he obtained the inheritance itself."

"Correct," Ge Xuan said.

"The boy clearly obtained something, or already possessed something unusual before entering. That much is obvious. His situation is too weird. But opportunity is not a crime." One elder hesitated before saying, "Sect Master, opportunity itself is not the issue. The concern is whether that opportunity carries hidden danger. Many demonic inheritances also grant rapid strength." The temperature in the hall seemed to drop. Ge Xuan's lazy smile faded by a fraction.

"Choose your next words carefully." The elder's face stiffened. Ge Xuan looked around the hall, his gaze passing over each person seated there.

"Xiao Fan fought Lei Shen while the rest of the sect was still trying to understand what was happening. He entered the deepest prison when even Foundation Establishment elders would have hesitated. He stood before an ancient remnant soul and helped break a ritual that could have ruined this sect from within." His voice remained calm, but the edge beneath it made several elders lower their eyes.

"He has shown courage and loyalty. He has shown willingness to bleed for the sect. Until there is real evidence of betrayal or corruption, no one in this hall will throw suspicion onto him simply because he may have had some opportunity." The elder who had spoken quickly cupped his hands.

"This old man misspoke."

"You did," Ge Xuan said. The elder bowed deeper. Luo Shengtian looked back down at the jade slip.

"Then our position regarding Xiao Fan is protection, reward, and observation without accusation?"

"Correct," Ge Xuan said.

"Do not dig into his opportunity unless he offers it himself, do not force him to explain every technique he has, and do not let greedy idiots approach him under the excuse of concern. If he has inherited fortune, then that fortune now belongs to a disciple who has already proven he is willing to protect the Pure Qi Sect." His eyes sharpened.

"And if anyone tries to treat him like a walking treasure chest, send them to me." The hall understood. That was not a suggestion. Ge Xuan leaned back again and added, almost casually, "Besides, the sect has always relied on disciples finding opportunities outside our control. Some find ancient caves, some inherit broken scriptures, some stumble into beast bloodlines, some buy suspicious manuals from roadside stalls and somehow make it big.

If the first thing we do when a disciple rises is interrogate him like a criminal, then we deserve to lose every genius who ever appears under our roof." Fu Xuan gave a small nod.

"A sensible decision." Han Zong let out a snort.

"True." Several elders nodded despite themselves. Ge Xuan looked around the hall in satisfaction.

"See? I'm reasonable." More than one elder almost opened their mouth to object. Reasonable? The most unreasonable person in the entire Pure Qi Sect had always been Ge Xuan. There had never been any real competition for that title. Luo Shengtian chose the wisest course of action and continued as though nothing had happened.

"The next disciple is Ji Ning." He lowered his gaze to the jade slip.

"Unlike Xiao Fan, his rise has been gradual. He began as a spirit farming disciple, later distinguished himself in the outer sect competition, displayed exceptional talent in spellcraft, and was eventually accepted as Ling Xin's direct disciple. Thus far, he has demonstrated aptitude in spirit farming, spell techniques, martial arts, alchemy, archery, and the spear." Han Zong clicked his tongue.

"That's far too many paths for one Qi Condensation brat. Spread yourself that thin, and you'll master none of them." Fu Xuan retorted.

"That criticism would be fair if he were merely dabbling." She picked up the teacup with unhurried grace.

"He isn't." Ling Xin's habit of shielding her disciples had to come from somewhere. As her master, Fu Xuan naturally had every intention of defending her own grand-disciple.

"Hm?" Qiu Man unfolded another jade slip, her brows rising slightly.

"He also created several spiritual dishes and wrote a book." Ge Xuan looked over with genuine curiosity.

"A book?" Qiu Man's expression became oddly conflicted.

"A serialized novel published under a pen name. It has a... questionable title and premise, but its sales have been exceptionally strong among outer disciples, servant disciples, and even several inner disciples." Fu Xuan slowly turned toward her, an inexplicable sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

"How questionable?" Qiu Man coughed into her fist.

"There are romantic entanglements, cultivation drama, revenge, and..." She lowered the jade slip for a moment.

"... certain suggestive scenes that remain just within the bounds of propriety." One old Peak Foundation elder looked away suspiciously. Another pretended to study the map. Fu Xuan gently closed her eyes. Ling Xin... what kind of disciple did you take in? Ge Xuan, meanwhile, wasn't looking at Qiu Man anymore. His eyes had wandered to the growing stack of reports on Ji Ning, and the smile on his face became increasingly amused.

"Interesting." He tapped the stack lightly with a finger.

"This is the first time I've seen someone so talented at so many things outside of cultivation. Certainly a type of genius I have never seen before." Han Zong snorted.

"You make it sound like a virtue." He liked single-minded people who focused on mastering a craft first. He did not believe in "jack of all trades, master of all."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Ge Xuan looked genuinely puzzled.

"Cultivation is important, but a cultivator who can create things is far rarer than one who merely becomes stronger." He leaned back comfortably, still smiling.

"Strength dies with its owner. A technique, a recipe, a formation, a story- those can outlive generations. I'd say that's a talent worth encouraging."

"Well," Fu Xuan said, setting down her teacup, "setting aside my grand-disciple's rather unconventional literary achievements, I believe both his talent and his contributions are sufficient to warrant promotion to core disciple." Han Zong folded his arms.

"I disagree. Their achievements deserve generous rewards, but core disciple status is another matter. They are still in the mid stage of Qi Condensation. A cultivator who hasn't even reached Foundation Establishment is not qualified for that position." Before Fu Xuan could reply, Guo Rui slowly shook his head.

"My concern is different." His blind eyes remained fixed ahead as formation marks revolved faintly around his pupils.

"Core disciples receive the finest inheritances, personal guidance from elders, and priority over the sect's resources. Every additional core disciple means those resources are spread thinner. If we break precedent today, every hall will have reason to demand the same tomorrow." Fu Xuan smiled gently, though everyone present knew that smile well enough to feel a headache coming.

"Then don't make this a precedent, but an exception," she continued calmly.

"How many Qi Condensation disciples have slain a Purple Mansion cultivator? How many have helped save the sect from destruction? If another disciple accomplishes the same, I will gladly support promoting them as well." Han Zong frowned.

"That still doesn't change their cultivation. At the end of the day, they're only two mid-stage Qi Condensation disciples."

"No," Fu Xuan replied, meeting his gaze without the slightest hint of retreat.

"It changes the value they have already proven they possess. Their cultivation will naturally catch up with time." She glanced around the hall.

"Need I remind everyone that the two of them broke the Sect Master's own record in the Heavenly Origin Tower? And my grand-disciple produced the first purple-gold light ever witnessed during the Fourth Trial." No one refuted her. They were simply facts. Qiu Man unfolded her talisman fan with a soft flick.

"From an objective standpoint, Elder Fu does have a point." She lowered her gaze to the jade slips in her hands.

"Neither Ji Ning nor Xiao Fan fits any precedent we possess. Comparing them to ordinary disciples is already an inaccurate measure." Fu Xuan looked at Qiu Man in surprise before immediately understanding the angle she was taking. Qiu Man continued calmly, "However, that is precisely why the matter cannot be decided lightly." Her fan tapped softly against the stack of reports.

"Core disciples are never chosen by merit alone. Every promotion is weighed against the sect's future. Their cultivation, temperament, Dao Heart, hall compatibility, resource allocation, and even the balance between the various halls are all considered." She looked around the council.

"Each hall only receives a handful of core disciples in a generation. Those positions are intentionally limited. Every new appointment means another disciple waits longer, another inheritance changes hands, and another elder's plans must be rearranged." Guo Rui gave a slow nod.

"Exactly. A core disciple is not simply an honorific title. It is a commitment from the entire sect." Fu Xuan smiled gently.

"Then perhaps the Alchemy Hall should also begin evaluating who truly deserves its highest-grade pills. Resources, after all, are limited." Fu Xuan had to resort to this; otherwise, these old fellows would not let her take the lead at all.

"Alright, stop arguing like children." Ge Xuan waved them down.

"Talent is talent, and merit is merit, but core disciple status is another matter. Their spiritual roots are still lacking, so let their foundations decide it. If they can both form high-grade foundations, promote them then. There's no need to force the title onto them now." Tsk Fu Xuan clicked her tongue audibly at that. She knew she could only press this matter once her grand-disciple reached Foundation Establishment.

"If only that old fellow Long Xiao was here, I wouldn't have to argue against all of them by myself. Where even is he? Does he not care about his disciple Xiao Fan?"

"..." For a moment, everyone was silent; they all knew what kind of man Long Xiao was, but the problem was that he was quite special, so they couldn't do much about him.

"I sent him on a mission," Luo Shengtian said. Until now, he had been content to let the other Purple Mansion elders argue while he read through the two disciples' records.

"Well, that's that then." Ge Xuan nodded.

"But they should still be rewarded." Shen Kuo, the treasury minister, suddenly felt his heart tighten. Ge Xuan looked directly at him.

"Raise their monthly subsidy. Give them proper star-marked cultivation pills appropriate to their stage and body-refining support." Fu Xuan nodded approvingly, while Shen Kuo's expression grew pale. Ge Xuan continued, "Improve the spiritual qi density in their courtyards. Set medium-grade gathering arrays under both residences." Shen Kuo's face grew paler.

"Also," Ge Xuan said, "each of them may choose one technique they want from the scripture pavilion." Shen Kuo could accept that one. Well, only his brother working at the scripture pavilion would probably be troubled by that. But Ge Xuan was not done yet.

"Finally, grant them an entry into the Spirit Tempering Pond the next time it opens." This time, the hall truly reacted. The Spirit Tempering Pond was one of the Pure Qi Sect's treasures. It was a cultivation ground reserved for only the most outstanding disciples. Its spiritual waters nourished the body, tempered the meridians, refined the dantian, and even strengthened one's spiritual foundation. Every session consumed an enormous amount of spiritual resources, making each opportunity extraordinarily precious.

"Sect Master!" Several elders spoke almost at once.

"The Spirit Tempering Pond is reserved for the top inner sect disciple!"

"And it only opens once every three years. The resources alone-""They're still only at mid-stage Qi Condensation!"

"What happens when the other inner disciples hear about this?" Objections quickly spread through the hall, with even several elders who had remained silent until now joining in. Ge Xuan's expression remained unchanged as he swept a glance across the hall.

"That's enough." The discussion died almost immediately as his eyes moved from one elder to the next.

"Two Qi Condensation disciples stood at the center of a Purple Mansion conspiracy, disrupted Lei Shen's resurrection ritual, defeated enemies far beyond their own realm, and bought enough time for the Pure Qi Sect to survive the greatest crisis it has faced in decades." His tone remained as relaxed as ever, yet that only made the words weigh heavier.

"And here you are, arguing over precedent, balancing resources, and counting how many times someone may enter the Spirit Tempering Pond." He let out a quiet sigh and shook his head.

"If the sect cannot properly reward disciples who save it because everyone is too busy protecting their own share, then perhaps Lei Fu wasn't the only rotten thing this rebellion exposed." The words struck the hall like a hammer.

"Alright, this meeting is over."... As the council gradually dispersed, jade chairs slid back one after another. Purple Mansion elders returned to their halls, Foundation Establishment elders gathered their reports, and before long only a handful of figures remained within the great hall. Luo Shengtian was among the first to leave.

"Shengtian." His footsteps paused. He turned to find Ge Xuan still seated at the head of the hall, one arm resting lazily against the chair.

"What is it, Sect Master?" Ge Xuan studied him for a long moment before smiling faintly.

"I've known you for over a hundred years. Whenever you get this eager to kill someone, you're usually hiding something." Luo Shengtian's expression didn't change.

"I don't know what Sect Master means."

"Hm." Ge Xuan rested his chin on one hand.

"You've been unusually interested in this case. More than discipline alone would explain." For the first time, something flickered behind Luo Shengtian's eyes before vanishing just as quickly. But instead of answering, he cupped his hands.

"This old man will have the Discipline Hall spread a few different stories about Xiao Fan's opportunity. The muddier the water, the fewer people will think to look beneath it." Ge Xuan blinked once at the sudden change of subject.

"Hm?"

"There are still prisoners awaiting interrogation. If Sect Master has no further orders, this old man will take his leave." Without waiting for a response, Luo Shengtian turned and walked away. Ge Xuan watched his retreating figure for a long moment before letting out a helpless sigh.

"This sect really has too many troublesome old men."... Deep beneath the Discipline Hall, the prison corridors had long since emptied, leaving only the steady drip of water and the occasional pulse of formations buried within the stone. An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator waited beside one of the sealed cells.

"Elder Luo." Luo Shengtian stopped before him.

"Mo Shi." Had Ling Xin or any of the others been present, they would have immediately recognized Elder Mo as the man who had trapped them inside the building with Zhou Chen during the rebellion. Mo Shi lowered his voice.

"My part went according to plan. No one suspects me." Luo Shengtian gave a small nod.

"Good. Keep it that way."

"Should we continue?"

"No." His answer came without hesitation.

"The sect will be watching itself more closely than ever after today. Don't give anyone a reason to look in your direction." Mo Shi nodded, but Luo Shengtian continued before he could respond.

"There's one exception. The person who contacted you before the rebellion, the one who claimed to represent the demonic cultivators. Try to reach him again." Mo Shi's expression changed slightly.

"You want me to continue acting as their spy?"

"If they still believe you're useful, let them." Luo Shengtian's voice remained calm.

"Don't pursue them too eagerly, and don't give them anything we can't afford to lose. I only want to know whether they contact you again and what they ask for." Mo Shi considered this before nodding.

"Understood." Luo Shengtian turned his attention toward the deepest part of the prison, where formation barriers covered the entrances to rows of cells. Some were empty now. Others held the surviving prisoners who had taken part in the rebellion. Mo Shi followed his gaze. After a moment, he finally asked the question that had been troubling him for some time.

"Elder Luo, when did you first suspect Lei Fu? There wasn't any evidence when you ordered me to watch him."

"There didn't need to be enough evidence to watch him." Luo Shengtian clasped his hands behind his back.

"I've spent almost three hundred years dealing with criminals. Most lie when they're afraid, some eventually repent, and a few simply learn to wait." He had noticed the changes in Lei Fu long before anyone else had reason to care. The Beast Hall master had begun visiting the prison more often than necessary, asking questions about Lei Shen's seal, the formations surrounding his cell, and even the rotations of the guards.

None of it was enough to accuse a Purple Mansion grand elder of treason, but it was enough for Luo Shengtian to start preparing.

"So you had me watch him." Mo Shi understood the extent of Luo Shengtian's foresight.

"And prepare for the possibility that I was right." Mo Shi fell silent. That preparation had extended far beyond Lei Fu himself. Months before the rebellion, Luo Shengtian had quietly altered patrol routes around several important locations, strengthened emergency formations under the excuse of routine maintenance, and positioned trusted Discipline Hall cultivators where they could respond quickly if something happened.

He had never known exactly what Lei Fu intended to do, so he had prepared for several possibilities instead. It was one of the reasons the disciple casualties had remained so low. The rebellion had caught most of the sect by surprise, yes, but it had not caught Luo Shengtian completely unprepared. For a moment, neither man spoke. Then Mo Shi glanced toward one of the empty cells deeper within the prison.

"Lei Shen is finally dead." Luo Shengtian's eyes darkened as he remembered the past.

"When Lei Shen rebelled decades ago, my beloved died leading one of the teams sent to intercept him," Luo Shengtian finally said.

"No one knew about our relationship. We had always kept it private." Mo Shi's expression shifted. He had served under Luo Shengtian for years, yet this was the first time he had heard any of this.

"At the time, I was only at Foundation Establishment. I wasn't strong enough to kill him myself." Luo Shengtian's hands slowly tightened behind his back.

"Later, when the council decided to spare Lei Shen's life, I obeyed. It was the decision of the sect, and I have always upheld its laws." His gaze remained on the empty cell.

"But I never agreed with it." For decades, Lei Shen had remained down here, protected by the very laws of the sect he had betrayed. Then Lei Fu had come for him, and all the patience, precautions, and suspicions Luo Shengtian had accumulated over the years had finally proven justified.

"As long as people like him remain alive, there is always another chance for something to go wrong," Luo Shengtian said quietly.

"So I changed what I could." Mo Shi understood. A prisoner who remained inside his cell was protected by sect law. He could not simply be executed because Luo Shengtian believed the council had made a mistake decades ago. An escaping prisoner was another matter entirely. Luo Shengtian had simply spent years making certain that if Lei Shen ever chose to cross that line again, there would be no second council hearing and no second chance. And now Lei Shen was dead.

Luo Shengtian stood before the empty cell for several seconds before finally turning away. There was no satisfaction on his face, but something that had lingered in his eyes for decades was finally gone.

"Continue as before," he told Mo Shi.

"If they contact you, I want to know before anyone else."

"Yes, Elder Luo." Luo Shengtian walked back toward the stairs. Behind him, Mo Shi remained beside the cells, watching the old man's departing figure with a new understanding of why people had come to call him the Stone-Faced Asura. Luo Shengtian had spent decades making certain the Pure Qi Sect would never pay for the same mistake twice. No matter the cost.... Broken banners lay half-buried in mud, snapped swords jutted from the ground, and thin streams of diluted blood wound through cracked stone.

At the center stood a woman in robes that had long since stopped being white, her hair loose, one hand gripping a sword, the other hanging useless at her side. Her spiritual energy flickered weakly enough that she looked to be standing at the edge of death. Across from her stood an old man in dark-gold robes. A golden wheel of spiritual light hovered behind him, pressing down on the battlefield like the weight of a mountain.

He looked at the ruined sect gate, then the broken plaque lying in the mud, and laughed softly.

"So this is all that remains of the Autumn River Sword Sect?" His voice was calm and satisfied.

"Your master is dead. Your elders are dead. Your disciples are dead. The inheritance that frightened so many people ends here, with one dying woman." She said nothing. She stood in the rain, sword lowered, blood dripping from its tip into the mud. Her silence seemed to bother him more than defiance would have.

"Well, if you don't want to say any last words, that's fine too. It's time for you to die." The old man's expression cooled, and a blade of condensed light dropped from the wheel above him, wide enough to split her and the hill behind her in two. The woman just looked at the ruin with hollow eyes. The rain changed first. Drops stretched into silver threads. Blood on her broken sword slowed halfway down the blade. Even the golden wheel behind him turned a fraction slower than before. His face changed.

"That should not be there," he whispered.

"H-how?" She stood. The blade still bearing down on her simply arrived too late, as though the moment meant to kill her had been pushed aside by something older than force. Her sword began to glow, faint and pale, unlike anything he'd seen a blade do before. The old man stepped back.

"You madwoman." For the first time, there was fear in his voice.

"You actually completed it? Your sect's scripture was destroyed; I watched the inheritance jade burn. No one should have been able to reach that level again." She raised her sword. The rain moved wrong around her, some drops rising, some freezing mid-air, some turning to mist before they touched the ground. He roared and threw everything he had into defense: barriers, treasure light, talismans, a great bell of spiritual energy wrapped fully around his body.

"You think you can sever my remaining years without paying the price?" the old man roared, fear and fury twisting together in his voice.

"Your own life is already hanging by a thread! To cut another's lifespan, you must first burn away your own!" She said nothing and raised her sword. Shing There was neither explosion nor storm of power tearing the battlefield apart as one would expect from an attack done by someone of her caliber. Her sword simply passed through the rain, and everything it touched grew old. The first barrier dulled as if worn by centuries of wind. The second cracked like something exposed to countless seasons.

The third crumbled to powder. The golden bell rusted outward from the cut, its surface going brittle and ancient before it collapsed soundlessly into the mud. He tried to retreat. But the sword had already reached him, a shallow line through robe and skin. The moment it touched, his body began to age. Silver hair turned white, then yellowed, then thinned to brittle strands. His skin loosened over his bones.

The light in his eyes dimmed, and the wheel behind him stuttered and cracked, its brilliance draining with the years that had sustained it. She changed too. A strand of hair near her temple turned white. Fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes. The faint flame of life inside her dimmed further, and for one breath her sword hand trembled. [The Eternal Severance Art does not reverse or halt time. Time cannot be seized by force. It can only be perceived, followed, borrowed, and severed. All things possess duration. A flame burns because its fuel hasn't run out. A wound heals because the body still walks toward recovery. A cultivator lives because lifespan remains within flesh and spirit. To use this scripture is to touch duration, and to touch duration is to pay with duration. At shallow understanding, one spends greatly to sever little. At mastery, the cultivator does not pour their own lifespan against another's, but finds the weak point where the target's remaining years already fray, and severs that thread at the smallest possible price. But borrowed moments must be repaid. Severed years do not return. One who reaches greedily toward another's lifespan may find their own remaining years answering the call.] The old man staggered back, his voice dry and impossibly old.

"You... you won't be safe either..." She lowered her sword. He reached for her with a withered hand, but before his fingers closed on anything, the golden wheel shattered into motes of light and his body collapsed into dust that the rain immediately began carrying away. Only his robe remained, empty in the mud. The woman stood alone in the rain, sword broken in her hand, the white strand at her temple stuck to her cheek. She swayed but stayed upright long enough to look at the empty robe in the mud.

"Autumn returns," she said, voice nearly lost under the rain. Then rain and dark closed over the scene, before anything more could be seen. Ning sat there in silence for several breaths as the final traces of the inheritance faded from the spiritual imprint. Eventually, he let out a long sigh.

"Seriously, this is the technique the Tower Spirit chose to give me?" There was no denying its power. It was, without question, the most powerful technique Ning had ever encountered. It was also one of the most suicidal. Unless his comprehension of the technique reached an extraordinarily high level, every use would shave away a portion of his lifespan. Ning rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Still, as my mastery improves, the lifespan cost should decrease." Then another thought occurred to him. His eyes gradually brightened.

"If I can sever the time remaining before something reaches a state... couldn't I ripen herbs early? Mature spirit beasts? Shorten the recovery period of injuries?" The more he thought about it, the more applications came to mind, until Ning couldn't help shaking his head with a helpless smile. Alas, the creator of such a magnificent inheritance had probably never imagined that one day, his successor's first thought would be how useful it could be for farming....

A/N: I was originally going to end the chapter after Ge Xuan's meeting, but it felt a little short, so I decided to reveal Ning's inheritance too. Also, I read all your suggestions for the time inheritance. There were a lot of great ideas, but most felt more like techniques Ning would create himself after understanding the inheritance, rather than foundational techniques created by traditional Xianxia cultivators. There's still a lot more to explore with the inheritance. As always, thanks for reading!