Chapter 30

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The Purple Cloud Pavilion is situated at the pinnacle of the Purple Cloud Peak.

Half of it is embedded in the mountain, the other half floating above the clouds. Its upturned eaves and exquisite beauty are breathtaking. Standing majestically in the wind, it resembles a celestial palace descended to the mortal world!

However, the scene inside the Purple Cloud Pavilion was quite different. Even the bright pearls on the dome seemed unable to dispel the oppressive and heavy atmosphere.

In the main hall, which spanned over a dozen zhang, a middle-aged man sat alone on a wooden chair. His towering figure and expressionless face made him appear both imposing and inscrutable.

Around him stood five men, including Miaoyuan and Miaoshan. The others were an elder and two middle-aged men, all dressed in vermilion robes and with respectful expressions.

"Why did the three of you not come to greet me when I inspected Lingxia Mountain?"

The middle-aged man remained silent for a moment before speaking coldly.

Miaoyuan and Miaoshan remained indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with them. The other three men exchanged glances, and the elder said in surprise, "We did not know of the Envoy's arrival and were still in our caves in deep meditation, hence our tardiness!"

This elder was slightly plump, with a ruddy complexion and silver hair, looking very spirited. As soon as he finished speaking, a robust middle-aged man nearby added, "What Miaomin said is true. He and Miaoyin, as well as myself, Miaoyan, were unaware of the matter. We hope the Envoy will forgive us!" The man called Miaoyin, standing beside him, had a thin, scholarly appearance and a neatly trimmed beard, and he nodded in agreement.

The middle-aged man's eyes flashed, and he let out a light snort, saying sternly, "Enough! The reason for my visit is the Nine-Star Sword. Lingxia Mountain is said to have one, but it has not been found. Do you have any information...?"

No one responded, and the room fell silent.

The middle-aged man's face darkened slightly, showing impatience, and he lifted his chin, "Miaoyuan, as the head of the five elders of Lingxia Mountain, this is a serious matter. You should explain..."

Miaoyuan touched his hooked nose, forced a smile, and stepped forward, saying respectfully, "According to legend, the Nine-Star Sword is divided among the nine countries of Shen Zhou and was once the treasure of each immortal sect. However, times have changed, and it is no longer as it was. The Envoy should know that our Lingxia Mountain suffered a great calamity, and the Sword Pavilion was destroyed, with no trace of the treasure. Even today, it remains the same..."

The middle-aged man snorted, "Hmph! If someone took the Nine-Star Sword, why didn't you investigate?"

Miaoyuan shook his head slightly, as if unwilling to revisit the past, but after a moment's hesitation, he sighed, "That year, the Sect Master was severely injured and lost all his cultivation, so he could not have taken any treasure..."

The middle-aged man pressed, "How do you know?"

Miaoyuan lowered his head and said slowly, "The Sect Master jumped off a cliff... his soul and body were destroyed!"

Miaoshan interjected, "I believe that while the Nine-Star Sword of our sect is indeed wondrous, no one has ever seen it. Perhaps it is just a legend..."

The middle-aged man's face turned angry, and he interrupted, "Do you dare to deceive me?"

Miaoshan's face twitched, and he hurriedly said, "No, I dare not..."

The middle-aged man swept his sleeve and stood up, saying firmly, "I have come to Shen Zhou with a warning. If the Nine-Star Sword is not delivered within a hundred years, the Sect Masters of all the immortal sects will be imprisoned on Jade Mountain for life!"

Miaoyuan looked up in alarm, "Envoy, our Lingxia Mountain has no Sect Master yet..."

The middle-aged man replied without hesitation, "Then the five elders will be punished together!" With that, he walked out.

Not only Miaoyuan, but also Miaoshan, Miaomin, Miaoyin, and Miaoyan, the other four elders, showed signs of unease.

The middle-aged man stopped at the railing and turned back, saying coldly, "If anyone can make amends, I will reward them greatly. Perhaps they can even transcend to the heavens!" As he spoke, he transformed into a beam of light and shot away. As night fell, it seemed like a meteor streaking across the sky...

Inside the Purple Cloud Pavilion, the five elders remained standing, each with a different expression.

Miaoyuan stroked his beard, deep in thought.

Miaoshan stared with anxious eyes.

Miaomin smiled bitterly, sighed, shook his head, and turned to leave the Purple Cloud Pavilion.

Miaoyin looked melancholic and followed.

Miaoyan, still anxious, saw someone leaving and followed without hesitation.

At this moment, Miaoyuan suddenly moved to block the three men, forcing a smile, and asked Miaomin, "Elder Min, you were the only one present when the Sect Master suffered. Did the Sect Master really die, and did he leave you anything, such as... the whereabouts of the Nine-Star Sword?"

Miaomin, blocked in his path, was already unhappy, and being questioned about this matter made him even more irritable. He said, "The matter was settled long ago. Bringing it up now is pointless!"

Miaoshan chimed in, "This is a serious matter, not a game. Miaomin, you should tell the truth to avoid disaster for Lingxia Mountain..."

Miaomin retorted, "If the Sect Master were still alive, why didn't you two announce it and send people to kill him? If I knew the whereabouts of the Nine-Star Sword, I would have already claimed credit. Why wait until now?" His voice suddenly grew louder, "We are all elders. Do you dare to bully me?"

Seeing the two men hesitate, he took the opportunity to leave. Miaoyin and Miaoyan followed without delay.

Miaoyuan, with some hesitation, did not stop them but let out a cold snort, his expression changing.

Miaoshan paced a few steps and said, "Lingxia Mountain is not yet stable, and now we face another calamity. If we are imprisoned, our years of cultivation will be wasted. What can we do?"

Miaoyuan pondered, "Perhaps it's not a problem! Even if the Nine-Star Sword is lost, the immortal sects will not easily submit. When chaos ensues, there will be changes!"

Miaoshan grew impatient, "When the blame comes, we will be the first to suffer! It's a shame Miaomin is so stubborn, causing Miaoyin and Miaoyan to follow suit! In my opinion, we should..."

Their eyes met, and they seemed to understand each other.

"You mean..."

"The Envoy said that making amends will be rewarded..."

"We need to think carefully..."

"If we wait for Miaomin to become more powerful, he will be even more arrogant. We must act soon..."

"Yes, that makes sense..."

...

As night deepened, the moonlight was like water.

Wujiao, however, could not sleep, tossing and turning on his bed.

A breeze rustled the branches and thatched roof, like the whispers of the night, a silent and lonely monologue. The cold moon accompanied his solitary sleep, but the long night was unbearable.

Wujiao opened his eyes and stared at the giant rock above him. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming weight, and he quickly turned to lie on his stomach. His mind was still restless, and the scene from the evening kept replaying in his mind.

He remembered that at the critical moment, a cold snort came from the sky, followed by an overwhelming presence that instantly plunged Mushen and himself into an unimaginable predicament. At that moment, it felt like certain death. It was like facing the majesty of heaven, where one could only accept their fate in submission and worship.

The sudden appearance of the middle-aged man, who neither wielded a sword nor made any gesture, yet controlled life and death with ease, was truly terrifying. Compared to Xuanyu and Changxian, he was in a different league.

In other words, he was the most powerful immortal Wujiao had ever seen! It was thanks to him that Wujiao narrowly escaped another disaster! Even Mushen was terrified, kneeling on the ground for a long time before the Yujing disciples finished their work and he left in a daze.

That night, Zongbao and Yunsheng were busy cooking snake soup. The host, however, was unusually quiet. Not understanding the situation, they found it boring, ate and drank, and then left together.

Thinking of this, Wujiao felt a chill and slowly hugged his knees, curling into a ball, but still shivered uncontrollably.

It was only early autumn, not yet bitterly cold. Why was he so cold? Was he sick, or was it fear? Perhaps it was neither illness nor fear, but unrelenting worry!

Mushen was truly a persistent nuisance! A cultivator and a mortal, they were incomparable, and the best course was to keep a respectful distance. Who would have thought that the guy was so stubborn, always纠缠不放, and now, as the manager of Yujing Peak, he was even more arrogant.

At this moment, this young master wanted to let bygones be bygones. Spirit stones and jade scrolls, no matter how valuable, were of no use to him. But if he returned them, given the guy's devious nature, he would not let it go. Any mistake could lead to regret.

In short, how could he live his life from now on? It was truly worrying!

Unlike before, the guy now knew everything and had a powerful master as a backing. His good luck had run out!

He couldn't run or hide. Was he to submit and be at his mercy?

Absolutely not!

Over the past two years, he had endured all kinds of hardships and faced countless difficulties. Was he really afraid of Mushen? Despite his ambitions, he lacked the strength...

Wujiao let out a deep breath and pulled out a book from his chest.

This was left by Zongbao, saying it was for entertainment. "Compilation of Immortal Dao," perhaps it contained cultivation methods. If he could learn a few techniques, he might use them against Mushen!

Wujiao took out a pearl and placed it on the bed to read the "Compilation of Immortal Dao" in the light. As he opened the book, he sighed in disappointment.

He had no spiritual root and could not cultivate. Even if he learned some techniques, they would be like mirages, mere illusions.

Go to sleep, he had no connection with cultivation!

The Wujiao from the capital was long gone. Why dwell on it? From now on, he was a lonely and helpless person!

Just as Wujiao was about to put down the book, his eyes caught something interesting, and he raised the book to his face. It contained not cultivation methods but descriptions of the major immortal sects and explanations of cultivation... Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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