Chapter 71: An Ugly Past
Blood Lord had initially assumed that Luo Xue possessed a special demonic cultivation technique, allowing her to ignore, or perhaps even absorb, the Yin Blood Mist.
But the strength she displayed in the next battle proved otherwise.
The first battle could be attributed to surprise, but the second… couldn’t be just a coincidence.
Logically, this type of demonic cultivation technique would have strong side effects.
An unstable foundation was just one aspect. More importantly, their combat power under normal circumstances would be weaker than cultivators of the same level.
How could a technique that relied on shortcuts compare to a technique cultivated through solid practice?
As a renowned Nascent Soul expert in the Demon Abyss, Blood Lord wasn’t so lacking in discernment.
“Perhaps it’s some kind of talent… It’s indeed a strong counter to my Blood lineage.”
Blood Lord narrowed his eyes. If this girl was allowed to grow, she would become a great enemy of the Blood lineage.
He briefly considered sending someone to assassinate Luo Xue.
However…
The Peerless Summit Sect wouldn’t easily expose any vulnerabilities, giving the Demon Abyss a chance to assassinate her.
Such a prodigy, anyone would protect her carefully.
To avoid alerting them, Blood Lord didn’t mention Luo Xue and instead turned his attention to Li Guijiao.
“I didn’t expect that after hundreds of years, Underworld Water Ravine would produce another skilled assassin,” Blood Lord said with a smile. “It’s a pity she’s a bit young. If she were the same age as the Holy Maiden… perhaps they could have a good match.”
“With the Holy Maiden’s cultivation speed, if they were to fight, it would probably have to be at the Core Formation Realm.” Zou Junxin shook his head slightly, a hint of regret in his voice.
After Foundation Establishment came Core Formation, and every step in Core Formation was even more difficult than Foundation Establishment.
The time it took to break through a minor realm might be similar to the time it took to go from no cultivation to Foundation Establishment.
It could be said that the Core Formation Realm was where the true difference between prodigies was revealed.
As for breaking through Core Formation and reaching Nascent Soul…
Even most prodigies found it difficult to reach this stage.
“Let’s end it here for today.” The battles below had ended, and Blood Lord had lost interest. He stood up. “It seems the Peerless Summit Sect still retains some of its former glory.”
“…Naturally.”
Hearing these words, which were neither praise nor mockery, Zou Junxin felt a mix of emotions.
A single Holy Maiden had overshadowed all the Foundation Establishment prodigies of the sect, and there wasn’t a single prodigy at the Spirit Condensation Realm who could hold their own.
If not for the two disciples at the Innate Realm who had slightly dampened the arrogance of the Temple of the Nether Spirit, after today, the Peerless Summit Sect would have no face left in the Immortal Domain.
“I hope to see you again in the future, Old Brother Zou,” Blood Lord’s face showed a hint of coldness. “Don’t die too soon.”
“Then… this Zou will see Blood Lord off.” Zou Junxin immediately cupped his hands.
But did these words mean seeing Blood Lord off from the Peerless Summit Sect, or…
Blood Lord didn’t say anything more. He waved his sleeve, turned around, and his hunched, half-withered, half-flesh-and-blood figure walked away.
The Temple disciples below received the order and returned to the blood-red bone ship, but the verbal sparring continued, the ship filled with noise.
It wasn’t until the bone ship was far away that the commotion on Falling Flower Peak finally subsided.
However, for the Peak Masters of the Peerless Summit Sect, some things were just beginning.
“Let’s go,” Zou Junxin sighed, “Our little friend… probably has some things to say to me.”
…
“Xiao Xue, how are your injuries?”
As soon as Luo Xue returned, Bai Zhanying immediately rushed over, worriedly checking her injuries.
“Cough… I’m fine, just minor injuries.”
Luo Xue quickly reached out to stop Bai Zhanying. Her blood was poisonous.
But Bai Zhanying still carefully lifted her clothes, and seeing the thin, long scar on Luo Xue’s abdomen, a look of distress appeared on her face.
However, as expected of a body infused with True Phoenix blood essence, Luo Xue’s injuries were healing quickly and had already scabbed over.
But… Luo Xue’s fighting style of trading injuries, although thrilling to watch, only caused heartache for those who cared about her.
Ignoring Luo Xue’s attempts to stop her, Bai Zhanying personally bandaged her wounds, even getting some of Luo Xue’s blood on her.
Although this poisonous blood couldn’t harm someone at Bai Zhanying’s level, it still caused some small, festering wounds on her fingers.
Luo Xue saw this and roughly understood the potency of her blood poison.
“Spirit Condensation cultivators can be poisoned, Foundation Establishment cultivators need to have their internal organs touched to be harmed, and Core Formation and above… can basically ignore it.”
“I really don’t know what you’re planning,” Bai Zhanying sighed after changing Luo Xue’s clothes. “Even so, the Sect Master still…”
“Let’s wait and see.”
Luo Xue said in a low voice, interrupting Bai Zhanying.
Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard door, followed by Zou Junxin’s voice.
“It’s me, Zhanying.”
“Coming.”
Luo Xue’s expression turned serious.
“Xiao Xue…”
Bai Zhanying opened her mouth, but Luo Xue’s expression remained unchanged.
She could only sigh softly and open the door.
“Sect Master.”
Bai Zhanying bowed.
“Zhanying, you can leave now.”
Zou Junxin looked at Bai Zhanying with a complicated expression, then turned his gaze to Luo Xue inside.
Luo Xue was also looking at him, grinning like an innocent child.
But Zou Junxin knew that she wasn’t as simple as she appeared.
“Senior Sister, it’s fine.” Luo Xue said with a smile. “The Sect Master won’t harm me, at least not now.”
“…Indeed.”
Zou Junxin said faintly.
Bai Zhanying looked at Luo Xue, then at Zou Junxin, unable to understand what they were planning.
“Yes, Sect Master.”
Bai Zhanying could only lower her head and leave the room, but she still waited outside.
Zou Junxin walked in and sat directly opposite Luo Xue.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“How are your injuries…?”
“Not bad,” Luo Xue poured a cup of water and placed it in front of Zou Junxin. “I just got back, and I haven’t prepared the tea set yet. I hope you don’t mind some plain water, Sect Master.”
Zou Junxin just looked at her for a long time, then sighed.
“If you didn’t have the Calamity Poison Body, if you weren’t a demonic cultivator, it would truly be a blessing for our Peerless Summit Sect…”
“Sect Master, it’s a pity there are no ‘ifs’ in this world.” Luo Xue’s smile faded slightly.
“…You’re very clever,” Zou Junxin’s fingers gently rubbed the teacup, his gaze fixed on Luo Xue. “You’re too clever.”
“I really wonder if you are the reincarnation of some powerful demonic cultivator, but your soul is pure and clear, without any trace of reincarnation.”
If not for this, even with Bai Zhanying’s connection, Zou Junxin wouldn’t have protected Luo Xue.
If she were truly the reincarnation of a powerful demonic cultivator, Luo Xue would have been killed by the sect’s higher-ups the moment she was discovered, and wouldn’t have lived until now.
Although Luo Xue remained expressionless on the surface, she was inwardly surprised.
Her current situation could be considered reincarnation, but unexpectedly… even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t detect any traces.
So, how exactly did she come to this world…
Was it illusion or reality, or… was this world just her dream?
Even now, Luo Xue couldn’t tell.
“With your intelligence, you should be able to figure out what has happened recently, about the cheating, about… the Law Enforcement Hall.” Zou Junxin paused, then continued, “And Luo Huaxin, she should have told you about Zhanying, right?”
“Only partially. Mother said she didn’t know much either.”
Luo Xue said, emphasizing the word “Mother.”
When she said the word “Mother,” a snort seemed to echo from somewhere, but she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.
Zou Junxin paused, a strange expression on his face.
There had been rumors before, but for the person involved to say it so directly was still unexpected.
What was even more unexpected was that Luo Huaxin was willing to acknowledge this daughter…
Even Bai Zhanying, she had only taken as a disciple.
But Zou Junxin suppressed his doubts and continued,
“She’s not really a member of the Peerless Summit Sect, so naturally, she doesn’t know much about what happened back then.”
As he spoke, Zou Junxin turned to look at the courtyard outside the window, a look of reminiscence in his eyes.
After a while, he sighed deeply.
“The Peerless Summit Sect has wronged Zhanying… and her mother even more.”
“The true Venerable Falling Flower of Falling Flower Peak, Bai Qiulin.”
“…She was also my peer.”
Luo Xue immediately perked up. After all, this was gossip, and gossip was every girl’s nature.
“What exactly happened back then? The rebellion… what was it about? Why is Senior Sister so involved in this matter? And what’s going on with the Grand Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall?”
Luo Xue blinked, asking all her questions at once.
At this moment, she looked like an innocent little girl, not the “clever” and shrewd person she was inside.
Zou Junxin was stunned by the barrage of questions. He had encountered enough unexpected things today, and now there was another.
“She actually asked so directly…”
A helpless smile appeared on his lips, but when he glanced at the door, a hint of bitterness flashed through his eyes.
“Well, it’s not a bad thing to tell you about this…”
He wasn’t sure if this “you” referred to Luo Xue or Bai Zhanying.
Under Luo Xue’s expectant gaze, Zou Junxin straightened up and began to recount the Peerless Summit Sect’s shameful past from hundreds of years ago.
—The rebellion that occurred hundreds of years ago.
The rebellion was initiated by Underworld Water Ravine, and its purpose was… to start a war between the Immortal Domain and the Demon Abyss.
The rebels believed that the Peerless Summit Sect had lost its edge as a sword sect and was colluding with demons. Especially the Bai family, who advocated for easing tensions between the Immortal Domain and the Demon Abyss, were seen as a thorn in their side.
The Bai family, led by Bai Zhanying’s mother, Bai Qiulin, believed that the Peerless Summit Sect had suffered heavy losses in the previous war and needed time to recuperate, and shouldn’t provoke another war.
This was a conflict between the radicals and the conservatives. Luo Xue felt that the current Peerless Summit Sect was a bit extreme, not knowing that this was actually the more conservative side.
Therefore, with the support of their Soul Transformation ancestor, Underworld Water Ravine massacred the Bai family and rebelled against Dawn Light Peak, attempting to use the Sect Master’s authority to mobilize the disciples stationed at the sect’s border and launch a surprise attack on the Demon Abyss.
At the same time, Bai Qiulin, the Peak Master of Falling Flower Peak, was assassinated in a secret realm and died in the arms of her friend, Luo Huaxin.
The Bai family was almost completely exterminated, leaving only Bai Zhanying, who was still an infant.
The Soul Transformation ancestor of Falling Flower Peak, enraged, fought against the Soul Transformation ancestor of Underworld Water Ravine. The aftershocks flattened eighteen mountain peaks and caused hundreds more to collapse.
It wasn’t until two other Soul Transformation ancestors intervened that the situation was eased.
In the end, the rebellion of Underworld Water Ravine was suppressed, but the damage was immeasurable.
Three of the four peaks underwent major changes, with only Cold Edge Cliff, with its consistently moderate stance, escaping unscathed.
The Sect Master resigned to take responsibility, and Zou Junxin, the Grand Elder of Dawn Light Peak, was appointed as the new Sect Master. Underworld Water Ravine was almost completely purged.
Most importantly, the power of Falling Flower Peak was left vacant, with no one to take over.
At this critical moment, Luo Huaxin stepped forward.
Luo Huaxin, a renowned rogue cultivator back then, had sworn sisterhood with Bai Qiulin when they were young.
Her best friend died in her arms, and in her rage, Luo Huaxin stormed Falling Flower Peak and rescued Bai Zhanying, who had been protected by the branch family of the Bai clan.
To compensate the Bai family, which had been almost exterminated in the rebellion, Bai Zhanying, after being confirmed to have survived, was designated as the future Peak Master of Falling Flower Peak.
Unless she betrayed the sect, even if she had no cultivation talent, she would be placed in that position.
But there was another problem. Before Bai Zhanying was old enough to take on this responsibility, who would shoulder the burden of Falling Flower Peak?
An elder from within Falling Flower Peak?
No, that wouldn’t do.
If an internal elder took charge, they would inevitably form their own power and faction.
When Bai Zhanying grew up, she would only be a puppet Peak Master, which wouldn’t fulfill the original intention of compensating the Bai family.
Therefore… after much deliberation, the position of Falling Flower Peak Master fell into Luo Huaxin’s hands.
Firstly, everyone knew that she was Bai Qiulin’s best friend, and secondly, she was also Bai Zhanying’s master.
There was another, more important reason…
Luo Huaxin was an outsider. The internal factions couldn’t be controlled by her, and everyone knew she couldn’t hold this position for long.
This was why the current strange situation existed.
Luo Huaxin, as a Peak Master, was a hands-off master all year round, and the Peerless Summit Sect’s higher-ups had no objections.
“As for the Law Enforcement Hall…” Zou Junxin said in a deep voice, “It was established after this incident, to prevent such a situation from happening again.”
“What about the current Grand Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall?” Luo Xue asked bluntly. “His relationship with you doesn’t seem very good.”
“…He is my Martial Uncle, the Senior Brother of the previous Sect Master, my Master.” Zou Junxin’s eyes flickered, and he sighed. “If nothing unexpected had happened, he should have been the Sect Master.”
“But now you are the Sect Master.” Luo Xue said.
“This is the source of internal conflict within the Peerless Summit Sect,” Zou Junxin said in a low voice, “And also the reason for your strange experiences recently.”
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