Chapter 385: The Foundations of the Eternal Spirit Mountain Shakes
A trace of apology flickered within Elder Shun’s eyes, but it was quickly smothered by determination, as if he’d made up his mind on something.
“Elder Shun, you’ve stood there for so long, at times frowning and at times pursing your lips--what are you thinking about?”
The girl in the pale green clothes had slowly walked over at an unknown time, holding a little pure white animal in her hands. “Elder Shun, who would’ve thought that a spirit creature such as a snow fox could be found on this mountain. Look at him, his left leg has been injured. I’m going to dress his wounds.”
It was as if the spring rains had graced Elder Shun’s cold face as boundless love and affection appeared on it.
“You little girl you, always so kind. The snow fox looks soft and docile on the outside, but it’s full of devious tricks. Huang’er, be careful of it turning on you.”
Huang’er flashed her teeth in a slight smile, as pure as the mountain valley after the rain.
“I’ll be careful.”
Elder Shun nodded. He was only speaking a word of warning, and wasn’t truly worried that the snow fox would harm Huang’er.
“Huang’er.” Elder Shun called out as she turned to leave.
“Hmm?” Huang’er turned, her graceful brows arched in question as she lightly came to a halt.
“Huang’er, I’m planning on intervening, will you blame me for being a busybody?” Elder Shun was a bit hesitant. He was afraid of nothing under the heavens, but he was afraid that Huang’er would be unhappy if he made a move.
Huang’er’s clear, limpid eyes darkened slightly as her brows lifted. She asked softly, “Elder Shun, it’s Huang’er who has dragged you down, and moreover, you’re doing so out of consideration for Huang’er. How would Huang’er possibly fault you? Except… in this legacy realm, you…”
“Don’t you fret about that. I naturally have my ways. This legacy territory is strong, but these people of the four great sects are too mediocre. I only need to slightly exert myself to ensure that they sink into a great panic.”
A mischievous smile flitted across Elder Shun’s face, but in that smile was also a hint of disdain towards the four great sects.
It was obvious he didn’t think much of them at all.
…...
Reports of the events that had transpired in the sky quadrant continued to pour into the upper levels of the four great sects. The four forefathers in particular paid considerable attention to the happenings of this quadrant.
All of their hopes were pinned on the sky quadrant.
To be honest, the other quadrants were just for show. It would be nice if some talents rose out of them, but it didn’t matter if none did either.
Only if the geniuses of the sky quadrant lived up to their hopes and quickly progressed, would there be hope for the future of the four great sects.
Therefore, the forefathers were willing to let a great many things slide in the sky quadrant.
Sunchaser of the Purple Sun Sect was especially happy to see an environment of suppression form after he’d deduced that the secular genius was Jiang Chen.
He didn’t want this secular genius to become an obstacle in the rise of his sect’s geniuses.
At his age and cultivation level, Sunchaser’s dao heart was cold and cruel indeed. He took an exceedingly dim view of the life and death of others.
If someone couldn’t become one of his, then there was nothing untoward in destroying them. Otherwise, he’d be cheris.h.i.+ng a snake in his bosom and allowing that person to become an obstacle. This was something Sunchaser never wanted to see.
As for the other three forefathers, Icemist of the Flowing Wind Sect had an aloof personality. She always occupied the center ground when handling matters, being neither radical nor conservative.
Thousandleaf of the Precious Tree Sect conducted his own investigations and had come to understand that the secular genius had very complicated relations with the geniuses of his sect.
Apart from Tang Hong, the others seemed to be quite fearful of him.
Due to this matter, Thousandleaf was also hesitant. He felt that if he didn’t kick up a fuss, this was letting the Purple Sun Sect have a free hand.
But if he did, he might not be able to change the situation.
It was Ninelion of the Myriad Spirit Sect who was hopping up and down with rage. He cursed loudly at the examiners of the sky quadrant, condemning them vociferously as piles of dog t.u.r.d to be openly breaking the rules like this.
His enthusiasm was set on fire when he learned that Jiang Chen had singlehandedly charged into the meeting.
He didn’t conceal his admiration for the secular cultivator, and was quite pleased with how his sect’s genius, Luo Xi, had performed.
Luo Xi hadn’t submitted to Lei Gangyang and joined his plan of oppression, but had chosen to place himself outside of things and not become involved instead.
To forefather Ninelion, this was a att.i.tude filled with backbone and grace.
After all, the Purple Sun Sect was perpetually domineering, a trait shared by Lei Gangyang. Ninelion was very pleased that Luo Xi had managed to stay true to himself and not compromise.
“Mm. If the secular genius could join my Myriad Spirit Sect, Luo Xi and he would s.h.i.+ne like twin suns, and form the grandest occasion for the sect in the last millennium. I must protect this candidate at all costs.”
Ninelion could no longer sit still when his thoughts reached this point. As such, he began to take some action.
He first approached venerated Thousandleaf. To begin with, the latter’s att.i.tude had been ambiguous. He too wanted to recruit the secular genius in the depths of his heart.
When Ninelion convinced him that only the Purple Sun Sect would benefit in the end if the secular genius was suppressed, he decided to join the camp of protecting Jiang Chen after a moment’s thought.
However, the two of them thought that it’d be best if they brought the solitary Icemist as well in the face of such a headstrong Purple Sun Sect.
Icemist had always remained neutral, but had to give face after the two spent quite a while speaking to her, and only then joined their cause.
Sunchaser seemed to have been long since prepared when he saw the three of them arrive together.
He only laughed coldly no matter how they tried to persuade him.
“I’m not involved in the affairs of the examiners’ area. But if the sect geniuses want to challenge him and take him down a peg, this doesn’t seem to be against the rules?”
Sunchaser’s tone was indifferent as he seemed completely at ease.
The other forefathers were equally speechless at such a shameless response. Indeed, candidates could challenge each other and receive points. This was a clearly delineated rule in the sky quadrant.
Ninelion laughed coldly. “It is indeed fair compet.i.tion for candidates to challenge each other, but do you think that those ridiculous restrictions from before were logical?”
Sunchaser’s tone was aloof. “That was a group examiner decision. What did that have to do with me? Do you think I told them to do so? Don’t forget that members of our four sects are present among the examiners. As much face as I have, I don’t think I have enough to affect the people of your sects?”
The other three were completely speechless. As shameless as Sunchaser’s words were, they also weren’t without reason.
The matters of the examiners’ section had been a group decision. All three of them had people amongst the examiners.
Sunchaser made use of their speechlessness to suddenly say, “I’m rather of the opinion that it’s not a good thing for a secular candidate to agitate people’s hearts and make a fuss in the sky quadrant. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for the geniuses to teach him a lesson. Isn’t he a genius? Don’t they all slowly rise through various violent clashes? Which one of us didn’t slowly reach our peak through stepping on countless peers and corpses?”
In the path of martial dao, the rise of a genius was indeed filled with light from blades and shadows from swords, mountains of corpses and oceans of blood.
The four forefathers suddenly trembled as they were speaking.
The Eternal Spirit Mountain suddenly started shaking as they spoke. The skies shook and the earth rose up in that moment.
“What?!” Their expressions changed as they dashed outside.
That such drastic actions had occurred meant that something had happened.
RUMBLE!!
The immense trembling made the Eternal Spirit Mountain howl. Everyone on the mountain was alarmed and began swaying with the mountain.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s happening?”
All the candidates ran out of their residences, shock writ all over their faces.
Jiang Chen had been sitting cross legged in his residence when he felt the disturbance. He too dashed out like lightning.
He looked down with a furrowed brow and summoned the Goldbiter Rat King, bading it to explore belowground and see if it was an earthquake.
However, the shaking stopped after a few breaths.
The degree of the tremors was as if a mountain G.o.d had sneezed. All was calm after it’d ceased, without the slightest trace of something out of the ordinary.
However, the four forefathers weren’t that optimistic and kept investigating.
They all focused on the foundations of the mountain. If it’d been a slight bit of internal shaking, they wouldn’t have minded it.
However, things would be greatly different if something had gone wrong with the foundations.
They’d used immeasurable wealth and spirit power to open up the Eternal Spirit Mountain. If something had gone wrong with the formation, then the mountain would forever close.
Once it closed, they would all be forever sealed inside, unless someone else opened it from the outside.
Otherwise, none of them would be able to make it out.
The forefathers shot over to the formation holding the entrance open.
Sunchaser was the fastest, closely followed by the three others.
“How does it look?” Icemist asked Sunchaser.
Sunchaser’s face was livid and full of incredulity. He looked around the formation for quite a while, the muscles twitching on his face. He felt a bitter taste fill his mouth as he murmured, “The formation’s been partially destroyed.”
The other three forefathers hastily took a look, their expressions changing greatly when they saw the destruction.
“d.a.m.n it, who did this?!” Ninelion started cursing loudly. “We paid such a high price to open this mountain, and then we could only maintain it for three years. Half of the formation’s been destroyed. At this rate, the formation can only be maintained for another half year!”
The four present were all the strongest amongst the sixteen kingdom alliance, but when they looked at each other now, their expressions were filled with wariness.
It was obvious that anything that could destroy the foundations of the formation was an existence they had to be cautious of.
“Can it be that a strong being lives in the legacy territory?” Icemist asked.
“Impossible. Even if there was a powerful being here, they wouldn’t be awake. From ancient times until now, those powerful beings would either have fallen or be deeply asleep without the presence of sufficient energy to sustain them. It’s impossible that they would be active.” Ninelion denied Icemist’s speculation.
“Was this manmade?” Thousandleaf sucked in a slight breath, his tone guarded.
Manmade?
When the four forefathers thought of this possibility, their expressions became even graver.