Chapter 54

In a palace of the Outer Sect of the Xiaoyao Sect, Lu Feichen and his daughter Lu Mengyao sat facing each other.

Without waiting for Lu Mengyao to ask, Lu Feichen took the initiative to speak, "Mengyao, do you know why Zhang Luliang, a mere Outer Sect enforcer, is worth the intervention of an Inner Sect elder, making it impossible for me to deal with him?"

Hearing her father mention this matter, Lu Mengyao was slightly taken aback. She certainly remembered that it was because Zhang Luliang had secretly attacked Luo Xiu during the assessment, an act that had already violated the rules. As the head of the Outer Sect, her father had personally ordered him to be imprisoned in the water dungeon, his cultivation stripped, and his琵琶骨 (pípá gǔ) pierced.

However, just after Zhang Luliang was imprisoned, someone arrived with a handwritten order from an Inner Sect elder demanding his release. The position of the Inner Sect elder was higher than that of the Outer Sect head, so Lu Feichen had no choice but to release him.

"I don't understand," Lu Mengyao shook her head in confusion.

The position of an Inner Sect elder was higher than that of the Outer Sect head, and Zhang Luliang was merely a low-ranking Outer Sect enforcer, with no comparable status. How could he possibly be worth the personal intervention of an Inner Sect elder?

If Zhang Luliang really had an Inner Sect elder as his backer, why would he be a mere enforcer in the Outer Sect?

Lu Mengyao was intelligent. Although she couldn't figure it out, she could guess that this might be related to the change in her father's attitude and the special circumstances he mentioned.

Lu Feichen took a deep breath, his expression serious. As the leader of the Outer Sect, he had not seen such an expression on his father's face in a long time.

"Not long ago, the Sect Master returned from the Nine Phoenix Mountain Range, but he was severely injured and is now on his last days," Lu Feichen said, delivering a shocking and alarming message.

The Sect Master he referred to was, of course, the head of the Xiaoyao Sect, and the one who could sit in that position was undoubtedly the strongest in the Xiaoyao Sect!

"The Sect Master is injured and on his last days?" Lu Mengyao's face showed surprise. "The Sect Master is a powerful warrior who has reached the King's Realm in martial arts. How could he be injured so severely?"

As for the Nine Phoenix Mountain Range mentioned by her father, Lu Mengyao had never heard of it.

"Our Xiaoyao Sect dominates the Yunlong Prefecture, and this is inseparable from the Sect Master's formidable martial arts cultivation. Therefore, this news has been sealed, and only a few people within the sect know about it."

Lu Feichen's eyes carried a hint of warning, "If the news gets out, not only will some forces within the Yunlong Prefecture become restless, but other forces from various counties in the Tianwu Kingdom may also take actions detrimental to our Xiaoyao Sect."

Hearing this, Lu Mengyao nodded solemnly, indicating that she would not tell anyone else.

Lu Feichen pondered for a moment and then continued, "The Sect Master's injuries are irreparable. Once he falls, the Xiaoyao Sect cannot be without a leader. The next Sect Master will be chosen from among several elders, and among the Inner Sect elders, two have the highest cultivation and prestige."

"These two elders are Di Sixi and Kong Qingyu. Their cultivation is similar, and they both have disciples and supporters in both the Inner and Outer Sects. There will be competition for the position of Sect Master."

"Currently, both the Inner and Outer Sects, from enforcers to protectors and elders, have taken sides, supporting their respective elders. I, your father, support Elder Kong Qingyu."

After hearing this, Lu Mengyao finally understood.

Her father was a supporter of Elder Kong Qingyu, and Zhang Luliang, the Outer Sect enforcer, was clearly a supporter of Elder Di Sixi.

Despite Zhang Luliang's low status, at this critical moment, Elder Di Sixi naturally had to protect his own people to gain more loyal support and show those who supported him that choosing to support Di Sixi was the right choice.

Lu Mengyao had not expected that this matter involved the power struggle between the Inner Sect factions.

Elder Kong Qingyu was highly respected and was her father Lu Feichen's mentor. As a disciple, she naturally had to stand by her master at this critical moment.

Although the Outer Sect's status was not as high as the Inner Sect, it was still significant. Therefore, Lu Feichen's support would play a crucial role in whether Elder Kong Qingyu could become the next Sect Master.

"My master, although he has my support, has only two supporters among the nine Inner Sect elders."

At this point, Lu Feichen sighed, "My master has been kind to me like a mountain. If it weren't for his guidance and support in the past, how could I be where I am today?"

"But the Inner Sect elders are highly respected, and my master has only two supporters, while Di Sixi has five. If nothing unexpected happens, my master will surely lose in this competition for the Sect Master position."

"And once he loses, if Di Sixi becomes the Sect Master, he will certainly suppress my master's faction, and I, your father, will also be implicated, facing potential disaster!"

Listening to her father, Lu Mengyao could sense the gravity of the situation.

In a dominant force like the Xiaoyao Sect, power struggles were common. The victor suppressing the defeated faction to consolidate their position was also normal.

But, what does this have to do with me and Luo Xiu?

As Lu Mengyao pondered this question, Lu Feichen slowly spoke, "Among the nine Inner Sect elders, three have the best relationship, having sworn brotherhood and sisterhood, and have faced life and death together many times."

"One of these elders has a grandson named Gou Jinchuan, who is deeply loved by the three elders and is now an Inner Sect disciple."

"Elder Gou approached me a few days ago, saying that his grandson has long admired you. If you could marry him, Elder Gou would persuade his two siblings to support your great-grandmaster."

At this point, even if Lu Mengyao were dull, she would understand her father's meaning, let alone being as intelligent as she was.

"Father, are you using me as a tool for power exchange?"

Lu Mengyao was immediately upset, standing up abruptly, her face filled with anger as she looked at her father.

Lu Feichen shook his head with a bitter smile. No one understood his daughter better than he did. He had known that once he mentioned this, she would react this way.

"Mengyao, your mother passed away early, and from a young age, I have never opposed any of your decisions. When you had the Fire Yang Pulse and could not be cured, you had to cultivate the Ice Heart Technique of the Tian Shan Snow Valley to suppress it, but it required you to marry into the Tian Shan Snow Valley. You refused to die and ran to Qingyun City, and I did not force you."

"But this time, if your great-grandmaster fails in the competition for the Sect Master position, I might be in danger!" Lu Feichen sighed.

"Father, I..." Lu Mengyao was at a loss for words. She could not ignore her father's life, but the price of marrying Gou Jinchuan was also unacceptable.

She had thought she had no future, as the Fire Yang Pulse made it difficult for her to live past twenty-five. But Luo Xiu had cured her Fire Yang Pulse, not only giving her a future but also a deep, unforgettable affection.

For Lu Mengyao, she would rather die than betray her feelings for Luo Xiu.

But... if her insistence put her father's life at risk, wouldn't that make her unfilial?

On one side was her father, who had always loved her the most, and on the other side was the happiness she pursued.

How should I choose?

Lu Mengyao was at a loss, her mind blank.

Lu Feichen also stood up, gently caressing her cheek, "I love you the most, and I won't force you to marry someone you don't like. If you really want to be with Luo Xiu, I will arrange for you and Luo Xiu to leave the Yunlong Prefecture so that you won't be implicated."

Lu Mengyao's body trembled. Her father was still thinking of her at this moment, which made her both moved and guilty.

"Father, I... I need to think about it carefully," Lu Mengyao's heart was in turmoil.

"Alright, I'll give you time to think, but time is short, so I can only give you three days," Lu Feichen said.

...

After Lu Feichen and Lu Mengyao left, Luo Xiu felt a strange sense of restlessness and unease.

It was late at night when he slowly opened his eyes. The injuries he had sustained in the life-and-death battle with Lin Jingyun had completely healed.

His ability to directly repair life meridians meant that as long as the injuries were not fatal, he could recover quickly.

However, the oppressive, restless, and uneasy feelings in his heart lingered.

The battle with Lin Jingyun had taught Luo Xiu a lesson.

In life-and-death struggles, cultivation level does not entirely determine one's combat ability. Powerful array artifacts can play a decisive role at critical moments.

For example, the third-stage array artifact used by Lin Jingyun, which emitted golden sword qi comparable to a先天武师 (xiāntiān wǔshī), would be almost impossible to resist for someone at the Qi Sea Seventh or Eighth Level.

Of course, array artifacts are expensive, and not everyone has powerful ones.

But there is no doubt that array artifacts can turn the tide in critical moments or cause unexpected setbacks.

Array artifacts are generally divided into three types: offensive, defensive, and supportive.

One type is offensive, like the golden sphere used by Lin Jingyun.

Another type is defensive, such as the blue crystal bracelet given to him by the Qingyun Hall Master, which he later gave to Lu Mengyao.

The third type is supportive, like the spirit-gathering array artifact, which is also called an array device.

In Lin Jingyun's storage bracelet, there were over a hundred low-grade essence stones, a cultivation pill, a fifth-grade sword technique, and a second-stage spirit-gathering array device.

These items were of little value to Luo Xiu.

However, Luo Xiu found a jade pendant, which turned out to be a third-stage defensive array artifact. When activated with true qi, it could release a wood-element protective shield with defensive and healing properties.

Lin Jingyun's status among the many disciples of the Outer Sect was not high, and his strength was not particularly strong. It was unusual for him to possess such a valuable array artifact.

Considering that the witness for the life-and-death battle was Zhang Luliang, Luo Xiu could easily guess that the old man was behind this.

"Zhang Luliang's family provoked me first. An old man who has lived for over a hundred years, attacking me without reason is one thing, but trying to kill me at every turn is another. Once I have the strength, I will find an opportunity to eliminate you, old man!"

Thinking of how Zhang Luliang had targeted him, Luo Xiu's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

He was not a soft-hearted person, as he knew that in this world, kindness would only be seen as weakness.

Whether it was beating up Zhang Hao and crippling Zhang Hai in the Qingyun Martial Hall, forcing Zhao Liang to bow, or later personally killing people in the Water Dock Mountain and the Eight-Headed Mountain, Luo Xiu's character had shown its wild and ruthless side.

Standing by the window, Luo Xiu gazed at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, his brows furrowed. The restlessness and unease in his heart made it difficult for him to calm down.