Chapter 69

As night fell and the sky was filled with stars, only a few people knew what had happened in the small courtyard behind the mountain last night. The Northern Cold Great Formation still shone with its usual brilliance.

Looking down from the void at the Northern Cold Mountains, the mountains stretched endlessly, with the Heavenly Passage Peak in the center, surrounded by the Sunset, Southward Gaze, and Purple Heaven Peaks. Only the northern mountains, it was said, should have seven peaks shrouded in thick fog, and the former Northern Peak was no longer visible.

This was the Northern Cold Sect, which had a nine-thousand-year legacy!

At this moment, in a secluded place at the foot of the Southward Gaze Peak, a man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Northern Cold Great Formation.

The man was about fifty years old, wearing a green robe with a short beard, his face gaunt, and a faint layer of greenish aura on his face. His eyes revealed a stern and ruthless expression.

This man was none other than the Southward Gaze Peak Master, Mei Wangnan, a Great Perfection Middle-Stage cultivator, with two elders beside him.

One of the elders was hunched, with a sickly appearance, but his brows betrayed a strong desire for bloodshed.

The other elder was thin and withered, none other than Elder Li from the Heavenly Passage Peak.

"Master Mei, the Sect Leader is in deep seclusion! This is a golden opportunity!" Elder Li said.

Upon hearing Elder Li's words, Mei Wangnan continued to stare at the Northern Cold Great Formation without a word, and the sickly elder remained silent.

After a full quarter of an hour, Mei Wangnan slowly said, "Elder Li, in our Northern Cold Sect, which has a nine-thousand-year history, has there ever been a traitor?"

Elder Li's face changed abruptly, and he hurriedly replied, "Master Mei, your words make me very uneasy! Dealing with a mere young cultivator like Amu, how can it be considered treason?"

Mei Wangnan's face showed no emotion as he said, "Amu is the Sect Leader's registered disciple and may one day inherit the Northern Cold Dao. Dealing with him is no different from treason."

Elder Li's face twisted into a cold smile as he said, "Amu is just a small fry, without any immortal roots. It's not an exaggeration to say that the Sect Leader's decision to take him as a disciple is utterly absurd, treating our Northern Cold legacy like a joke! Not to mention that my nephew Lingfeng is a prodigy, the best among the younger generation of the Northern Cold Sect! Even my deceased disciple Yang Yun was far superior to Amu! If the Sect Leader hadn't favored him, and if Amu hadn't relied on the Heaven Earth如意 Bracelet and that mysterious treasure, he wouldn't have survived. How many Northern Cold disciples have been disheartened? Master Mei, with your high cultivation, have you ever heard of someone achieving the Dao without immortal roots?"

Mei Wangnan smiled faintly at Elder Li's words, "Achieving the Dao without roots, I have never heard of such a thing!"

"Exactly! So I hope Master Mei will lend me a hand to avenge my two disciples!" Elder Li said.

However, Mei Wangnan remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.

"Master Mei! Forgive my boldness, but if you help me eliminate Amu, I will willingly recognize you as the leader of the Northern Cold Sect in the future," Elder Li said, raising his eyebrows.

Upon hearing this, the sickly elder's face twisted into a strange smile, while Mei Wangnan showed no emotion.

"Ah! Elder Li, aren't you inciting internal strife and making me a traitor to the Northern Cold Sect?"

"Master, you worry too much! The position of Sect Leader should go to the most capable. From what I know, among the three elders in seclusion, Elder Yang once supported you to take charge of the Heavenly Passage Peak. Although Han Qianli has reached the Spirit Saint realm, his ability to govern the Northern Cold Sect is far from adequate. Just the fact that he took Amu as a disciple is proof enough."

Mei Wangnan neither confirmed nor denied, saying calmly, "I understand your intentions, Elder Li! You may return to the mountain. This is a significant matter, and I need time to consider it."

Elder Li, seeing that Mei Wangnan did not outright refuse, felt hopeful and said, "Thank you, Master! I will await your good news!"

With that, Elder Li bowed to Mei Wangnan and the sickly elder, then flew away, leaving Mei Wangnan and the sickly elder alone.

"Old Qian, what do you think?" Mei Wangnan asked.

"Hehe! A general's success is built on the bones of many. If you want to achieve great things, you must not hesitate!" the sickly Old Qian said coldly.

"Old Qian, do you think we have a good chance?" Mei Wangnan took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the Northern Cold Great Formation.

"Although the people we sent ended up dead or insane, far beyond my expectations, I believe that a mere Amu is not a threat! If I could enter that courtyard, I would have taken his life last night without any trouble," Old Qian said.

"Old Qian, you know my goal is not Amu," Mei Wangnan said slowly.

"Hehe! Your century-old ambition, I understand well! Killing Amu is just a test, a smokescreen. Master, rest assured, among our three grandmasters, Elder Yang is the most powerful and can control the other two. Han Qianli is in deep seclusion, and if he is forced to break it, his cultivation will be greatly damaged, making him no threat. Killing Amu, obtaining the soul treasure, and allying with Elder Li's lineage internally, and the Black Water people externally, will achieve three goals at once, paving the way for your ascension to the position of Sect Leader!"

Mei Wangnan's eyes flashed with determination, and a faint greenish aura appeared, "Old Qian, don't you think the Sect Leader's seclusion this time is too high-profile? In the past, he only informed a few people, but this time, it seems the entire Northern Cold Sect knows!"

Old Qian chuckled, "Master, you are right! However, from what Han Qianli did at the Sunset Cliff, it's clear he wants to intimidate and prepare for his seclusion. Deception is a part of strategy. This high-profile seclusion is meant to make people suspicious! And by appointing Bai Yifeng to make all decisions, he is likely wary of you! If we miss this opportunity, Elder Yang's lifespan is limited, and once Han Qianli completes his seclusion and advances in cultivation, it will be impossible to achieve our goals. A century of preparation will be for naught!"

Mei Wangnan's eyes glinted with determination, and a faint greenish aura appeared, "Old Qian, your words echo my thoughts!"

After a brief silence, Mei Wangnan seemed to have an idea, "Do the Black Water people really offer such conditions, and only want Amu's corpse?"

Old Qian said, "Yes, a thousand silver-level spirit coins and a初级 soul treasure! They only want Amu's corpse and promise to help you become the Sect Leader!"

"Hmph! What a tempting offer, a mere young cultivator worth a thousand silver-level spirit coins and a soul treasure! It seems even our lives are not as valuable! I wonder what use a dead person could have? Be cautious, we are dealing with tigers!" Mei Wangnan said.

Old Qian said, "The Black Water people control spirits and ghosts with secret techniques, beyond our understanding. The Black Water envoy is a high-stage Spirit Saint, capable of suppressing our entire Northern Cold Sect. His only concerns are the Northern Cold Great Formation and Elder Yang. If he truly had ulterior motives, he wouldn't go through such elaborate plans! By approaching our Southward Gaze lineage, he has already seen the benefits."

Mei Wangnan nodded, "If the Black Water people send two more, even the Northern Cold Great Formation and Elder Yang would be no match. However, they are likely using us to avoid drawing the attention of the Arctic Immortal Sea in the Cold Plains."

"Hmm?" Old Qian looked puzzled.

"The fall of the Northern Kingdom is suspicious, involving some legendary treasure. Many forces are involved, including the Black Water people!" Mei Wangnan narrowed his eyes, revealing a hint of killing intent.

"Is Amu related to the fall of the Northern Kingdom?" Old Qian's face changed.

"Even if he is, what can a mere young cultivator do to influence the world? We will kill Amu, obtain the treasure, and hand it over to the Black Water people. If there are any issues, they will be the Black Water's problem. Although the Northern Cold Sect is one of the three major sects in the Northern Plains, you and I know the true weight of this title," Mei Wangnan said coldly.

"Indeed! In the end, we are just a second-rate force in the Northern Plains! There are many things we should not know or get involved in!" Old Qian's sickly face showed a bitter smile.

Mei Wangnan nodded in agreement, his mind made up.

"By exposing our strength and stirring up the Northern Cold Sect, making everyone wary, especially the Heavenly Passage lineage, have we achieved our goal?"

"Amu went to the Sunset Peak this morning," Old Qian said.

"Hehe! Amu is quite clever, going straight to the source!" Mei Wangnan laughed coldly, "Has Bai Yifeng taken any action?"

"The Sunset Peak is united, and I dare not investigate. However, in the afternoon, four Great Perfection cultivators secretly entered the Heavenly Passage Peak," Old Qian said.

"Four Great Perfection cultivators! Bai Yifeng is making a big move! It seems he still suspects the Heavenly Passage lineage, especially Elder Li's lineage!" Mei Wangnan said.

"Indeed! It's amusing that Elder Li is still in the dark! Begging us to do the dirty work for him!" Old Qian said with an evil smile.

"We must use Elder Li well! His lineage can attract Bai Yifeng's forces and directly eliminate Amu when the time comes. In the end, we can blame everything on him, helping us achieve our goals," Mei Wangnan said.

Old Qian nodded in agreement.

"However, to kill Amu and seize the position of Sect Leader, there is one person in the Northern Cold Sect I still fear!"

"The Black Water envoy said that if needed, he can directly assassinate Bai Yifeng, making it look flawless and not implicating you," Old Qian said.

"You are wrong! I fear not Bai Yifeng, but Li Qiancang!" Mei Wangnan said solemnly.

"Li Qiancang?" Old Qian was taken aback, "What is there to fear from such a person? I can easily deal with him, and he is always in seclusion!"

"Hehe! Don't underestimate Li Qiancang. No one knows if he is truly in seclusion. I have an 80% chance against Bai Yifeng, but against Li Qiancang, I am unsure of the outcome!"

Old Qian was shocked, "Li Qiancang is that powerful? Is he also a Great Perfection Middle-Stage cultivator?"

"No one knows the depth of Li Qiancang's abilities!" Mei Wangnan took a deep breath, clearly wary of Li Qiancang, "His innate divination is said to be infallible. We must be cautious! If we alert him, it could cause significant trouble."

"No problem! Master, Li Qiancang does not involve himself in worldly affairs. As long as we do not threaten the foundation of the Northern Cold Sect, he will likely not interfere," Old Qian said.

"I hope so! Old Qian, you should understand that my position as Sect Leader is not important, but Lingfeng is different. We must be extremely cautious!" Mei Wangnan said.

Old Qian nodded, "I understand. Lingfeng has extraordinary talent and a deep, reserved nature, making him the rightful future leader of the Northern Cold Sect!"

He continued, "We will secretly kill Amu, hand over his corpse, and obtain the Heart-Stabilizing Jade, the Heaven Earth如意 Bracelet, and the mysterious treasure. With the help of the Black Water people, we will kill Bai Yifeng, then kill Elder Li. When you call, the other lineages will submit, and our goal will be achieved. Otherwise, if we do not hand over Amu, the Black Water people might destroy the Northern Cold Sect!"

"Indeed! A high-stage Spirit Saint is likely just a vanguard for the Black Water people!" Mei Wangnan's cold voice contained a hint of helplessness.

"After a century of planning, we should not miss this opportunity!" Mei Wangnan looked at the Northern Cold Great Formation again, "At midnight, we will secretly open a corner of the formation. I want to meet the Black Water envoy personally!"

"Good! I will make the arrangements immediately!" Old Qian bowed again, then disappeared.

Alone, Mei Wangnan gazed at the Northern Cold Great Formation, his face expressionless.

At midnight, a meteor streaked across the sky, and a corner of the Northern Cold Great Formation at the Southward Gaze Peak opened.

This opening was not just a corner of the formation but a challenge to the nine-thousand-year foundation of the Northern Cold Sect.

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