Chapter 154: Winds and Clouds Rise in Eastwood

"Boom..."

Outside Dongmu City, the giant bell atop Dongmu Mountain began to toll.

On the summit of Dongmu Mountain, within the grand hall of the former Xihe Sword Sect, the patriarchs and masters of various sects, large and small, from across the Dongmu Region were seated in two orderly rows.

Xie Wenyuan, master of the Jinyan Sect from the Linqing Prefecture, sat in the very front. Seated to Xie Wenyuan's lower left was Zhuge Shang, master of the Washing Sword Sect from the Dongqing Prefecture. Opposite Xie Wenyuan sat Monk Daozhi, abbot of the third-rank Pingqing Temple from the Luoze Prefecture, and opposite Zhuge Shang sat Yun Tiannan, master of the third-rank Falling Goose Sect from the Nanping Prefecture.

The masters of the four major third-rank sects across the four prefectures of the Dongmu Region had all arrived. Among those present, Xie Wenyuan possessed the highest cultivation level at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while the other three were all at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, verging on the late stage.

On the high platform behind the four men—directly in front of what used to be the seat of the Xihe Sword Sect's master—two desks had been arranged on the left and right. Behind one desk sat young Monk Kongse of the Heshou Temple, while behind the other sat an elderly cultivator with white hair and a white beard.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Monk Kongse pressed his palms together before his chest in a salute toward the white-bearded elder and said with a gentle, jade-like warmth, "Benefactor Wen, the time is nearly upon us. We should begin."

The white-haired and bearded old man was Wen Tingshi, hailing from Tiannan Sword Sect, the only fifth-rank sect in the Tianyang Realm. Hearing Monk Kongse's words, the elder opened his slightly squinted eyes, swept a glance over the seated masters of the third-rank sects, and a trace of disappointment flashed across the corners of his eyes. With a hint of lingering doubt, he asked, "Has Mount Hua not yet arrived? Master, starting this early feels rather disrespectful to Sect Master Jiang Yan of Mount Hua."

Monk Kongse smiled faintly, a warm and amiable expression gracing his features as he replied, "If I may be frank with Benefactor Wen, Benefactor Jiang has already arrived in Dongmu City. Though he did not come straight to Dongmu Mountain, his chief disciple is already here."

A look of eager anticipation flashed across Wen Tingshi's face, and he asked with a trace of urgency, "Since Benefactor Jiang has arrived, why has he not yet appeared? What is the cultivation level of this chief disciple of his?"

Monk Kongse said placidly, "Benefactor Wen, the young man standing behind you is Ning Qian, the senior first-generation disciple of Mount Hua."

Wen Tingshi turned around in a hurry, narrowing his eyes into thin slits as he looked at Ning Qian, who stood quietly in white robes.

Ning Qian, standing silently in place, suddenly felt a thread of imperceptible sharpness sweep across his body. His heart stirred, and his first-rank spiritual sense instantly surged out from his sea of consciousness. However, upon catching sight of the amiable smile on Monk Kongse's face across the way, Ning Qian withdrew his body slightly, and his spiritual sense—which had been pouring forth like flowing mercury—snapped back into his sea of consciousness in an instant.

Wen Tingshi used a spell designed to probe a cultivator's cultivation level, and as he discerned Ning Qian's realm, a jolt of shock rippled through his heart. A look of astonished delight surfaced on his face as he praised, "The young man is so exceptionally young, yet he has already attained Foundation Establishment..."

The towering spiritual pressure surging from within Ning Qian instantly forced Wen Tingshi's words back down his throat. Wen Tingshi's brows and beard jerked upward as the full power of his Great Perfection Foundation Establishment realm rapidly formed a faint ring of spiritual energy around his body, blocking Ning Qian's spiritual sense from encroaching within half a foot of him. The moment Ning Qian withdrew his spiritual sense, a sharp glint flashed through Wen Tingshi's eyes. "You are a first-rank talismanner!"

The Tiannan Sword Sect itself counted several first-rank talismanners among its ranks, including those at the very peak of the first rank. Wen Tingshi was thus exceedingly clear on the classifications of talismanners. Given how Ning Qian's spiritual sense had surged forth instantaneously, Wen Tingshi's initial judgment was that the youth had to be at least a first-rank talismanner.

Prompted by Wen Tingshi's exclamation of surprise, the sect masters seated below the high platform, along with the various disciples and elders standing about, all turned their gazes toward the high platform.

Wen Tingshi coughed once, infusing his voice with spiritual energy, and spoke with considerable solemnity, "Today, summoning you all here was originally intended to address the undecided quota for a fourth-rank sect within the Dongmu Region. However, due to certain unexpected developments, the selection of the fourth-rank sect has ultimately been finalized. Whether in terms of potential or the overall strength of the sect, that sect is fully capable of suppressing everyone present. Therefore, the purpose of summoning you all here today is to let you witness the fourth-rank sect to which you will henceforth belong—Mount Hua."

"I object!"

A shrill cry suddenly rang out from beneath the platform.

Standing behind Xie Wenyuan, Xie Beilun shouted with a ferocious expression, "My Jinyan Sect should be the fourth-rank sect! When it comes to powerful experts, my father is a late Foundation Establishment master. When it comes to numbers, the Jinyan Sect also possesses two other Foundation Establishment experts, Senior Brother Xu and Bai Tong. What does this newly risen Mount Hua have? No people to speak of, no wealth to spare—they're nothing more than a destitute, impoverished sect!"

Wen Tingshi's white beard twitched upward in profound displeasure. "You brat, are you questioning my decision? A mere whelp, the son of some pathetic little third-rank sect master, actually dares to act so arrogant and audacious in front of me? Do you truly take yourself for some peerless martial artist?"

Monk Kongse also lowered his head, pressing his palms together in a Buddhist salute as he chanted, "Amitabha."

"Swoosh..."

A verdant, lush green vine plunged into the hard ground directly in front of Xie Wenyuan.

"A second-rank superior-grade spiritual artifact, Azure Wood Vine!"

The four seated sect masters collectively drew in sharp breaths of cold air. A second-rank Azure Wood Vine was no easy spiritual artifact to refine, let alone one of superior grade. The major sects had long desired even a single spiritual artifact to no avail, yet a second-generation disciple emerging from Mount Hua casually brandished a spiritual artifact that was actually of second-rank superior grade.

Ning Qian swept his gaze across the crowd below, a cold chill flashing through his eyes as he spoke with icy detachment.

"By the order of my master, I have come to Dongmu Mountain first, and I dare not let the reputation of Mount Hua be diminished. Here before you all, I shall demonstrate a small trick for everyone to witness."

Ning Qian's eyes narrowed. With his left hand held behind his back and his right hand slightly open before him, he splayed his five fingers and slowly clenched his fist toward the distant green vine in the distance.

As Jiang Yan—[Translator Note: referring to Ning Qian's action]—slowly closed his palm, a tiny bud on the distant green vine began to stretch and joint upward. It then formed a flower bud, unfurled into a breathtaking blossom, and subsequently saw its petals wither and fall until it finally reverted once more to a tiny, tender shoot.

"Humph, mere illusionism," Xie Beilun sneer-scoffed, standing behind Xie Wenyuan with an expression of utter disdain.

"Silence!" Xie Wenyuan suddenly spoke up, casting a cold and stern rebuke toward his son. Beside Xie Beilun, Xu Mingyuan merely kept his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose on his heart, remaining completely motionless.

Yun Tiannan of the Falling Goose Sect glanced at Xie Wenyuan, a playful expression washing over his face. Xie Wenyuan had been a hero all his life; who would have thought he would sire a son utterly lacking in political astuteness and devoid of any worldly sense? Yet Yun Tiannan was also astonished by the youth's spiritual sense manipulation techniques on the stage. He smiled and said, "What marvelous methods the young brother employs! The 'Instant Blooming' of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Arts—what a grand display, and what profound strength your sect possesses."

Monk Daozhi of Pingqing Temple pressed his palms together, lowering his head slightly as he chanted, "Amitabha. 'Instant Blooming'—the young benefactor possesses formidable skills indeed."

Xie Wenyuan gave a cold chuckle, a mocking expression on his face as he said, "Ning Qian, you are the chief disciple of Mount Hua. Based solely on this trick of 'Instant Blooming,' I reckon you must have already reached Foundation Establishment. That worthless master of yours should have reached the late Foundation Establishment stage by now as well."

Ning Qian took in all the reactions of the four major sect masters seated below the platform, his tone resonant and clear as he replied, "You are too kind, Sect Master Xie. Having cultivated for a little over a year, I finally succeeded in achieving Foundation Establishment three months ago. Compared to my master, however, I am truly not worth mentioning—not worth mentioning at all. The late Foundation Establishment stage is nothing more than a minor technique in the eyes of my master."

Xie Wenyuan chuckled dryly, a mocking sneer on his face. "All in all, the overall strength of your Mount Hua is still a notch below that of my Jinyan Sect. If we are to judge purely by surface strength, my Jinyan Sect is indeed inferior to your Mount Hua."

Yun Tiannan's gaze shifted; he could not fathom what this old fox was plotting, to actually admit inferiority to Mount Hua of his own accord. Knowing that he had competed against him for decades within the Falling Goose Sect, Yun Tiannan had never once heard this old man admit to being inferior to anyone. Could the sun be rising from the west today? Was this old man actually turning over a new leaf?

"Well then, little Ning Qian, why don't you have your skulking master and those fellow martial uncles of yours all come out into the open? Your Mount Hua's forces have all been poured out in full force this time, haven't they? I simply fail to understand: since your Mount Hua possesses strength that surpasses all third-rank sects in the Dongmu Region, why do you continue to turtle up inside that tiny little Mount Hua?"

Xie Wenyuan's mocking words echoed throughout the hall, provoking a burst of boisterous laughter.

"Naturally it's because they're afraid of sticking their heads out only to get beaten to death! We of the Jinyan Sect suppress the Linqing Prefecture; which sect dares compare themselves to our Jinyan Sect?" Behind Xu Mingyuan, a Jinyan Sect disciple loudly bragged.

Zhuge Shang narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at both Xie Wenyuan and Ning Qian. Among the various sects, his Washing Sword Sect was the weakest, which had long since ingrained in Zhuge Shang the habit of never acting rashly or taking the lead. It was precisely due to this temperament that the Washing Sword Sect had managed to steadily maintain its position as a third-rank sect in the Dongqing Prefecture.

Yun Tiannan frowned as he glanced at the Jinyan Sect disciple standing behind Xie Wenyuan, feeling somewhat displeased. Although Wen Tingshi had stated that Mount Hua would be the next Xihe Sword Sect, he himself was still the master of a third-rank sect, was he not? For a mere underling to dare speak so boldly within this grand hall—Xie Wenyuan of the Jinyan Sect was truly becoming far too arrogant.

"Becoming arrogant..." Yun Tiannan's eyebrows suddenly shot up. When Xie Wenyuan spoke earlier, although he had ostensibly admitted inferiority to Mount Hua, he had been speaking with double meaning. *Surface* strength?

Ning Qian, however, merely narrowed his eyes, his gaze brimming with mockery as he looked at Sect Master Xie Wenyuan of the Jinyan Sect. "The way my Mount Hua conducts itself requires no explanation to the likes of you, Xie Wenyuan! Over the past year, the footprints of my Mount Hua have spanned thousands of realms—do we really need to report back to you, Xie Wenyuan? Have you taken the wrong medicine today..."

"Impertinent brat!" Xie Wenyuan roared in fury, finally truly provoked to wrath by Ning Qian.

"Kill him for me, Mingyuan," Xie Wenyuan ordered, pointing directly at Ning Qian on the high platform.

Xu Mingyuan stepped forward, and a piercing wave of spiritual pressure instantly flooded the entire grand hall, its apex pointed directly at Ning Qian on the high platform.

The frown between Ning Qian's brows slowly smoothed away, and his eyes filled with an amiable, gentle smile. "If we are to engage in a battle of techniques, we should naturally take it outside. To smash the items inside this hall would mean destroying property belonging to my own Mount Hua."

A ferocious expression surfaced on Xu Mingyuan's face, his tone dripping with bone-chilling coldness. "Dealing with a mere early Foundation Establishment upstart like you—could that possibly shatter anything belonging to my Jinyan Sect? Boy, don't waste your breath trying to buy time. If you have the guts to escape this hall, then naturally I'll follow you outside to fight!"

Ning Qian's face remained wreathed in a warm, genial smile. With a flick of his hand, the Azure Wood Vine flew back behind him, and he looked at Xu Mingyuan with mirth in his eyes. "Is that so..."

The very instant the final word left his lips, Ning Qian had already transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished from within the grand hall...

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End of Chapter 154: Winds and Clouds Rise in Dongmu. You may now return.