Chapter 638: Ideological Disagreement, Part 2

He only had time to activate his Lifebound Magical Treasure, a golden mountain appearing before him. Simultaneously, his Magical Robe flashed with spirit light as three Defense Techniques activated automatically.

Struck by the Formless Divine Thunder, the heavy golden light buckled like a pile of mud, bursting with several bubbles.

The Tier Three Defense Techniques dissolved just as quickly, failing to buy even a few moments of time.

SPLAT!

A fatal miscalculation. The broad-faced, long-bearded Core Formation Cultivator’s head exploded, spattering several nearby Cultivators with blood and flesh.

Lii Guizhen’s expression remained unchanged. He opened his mouth slightly as if to shout, and several more orbs of Formless Divine Thunder detonated, sending the entire group of Cultivators to the same fate as their leader.

‘Not bad. This finally lives up to the preface from the legacy of the Profound Nether One Qi Divine Thunder: “This skill is no weaker than the Five Thunders Sect’s Seventeen Thunder Techniques. It is my hope that future generations will study it in depth and topple the Five Thunders Sect from its status as the Cultivation Realm’s Thunder Skill Sacred Land.”‘

Lii Guizhen nodded in satisfaction. This was the first time he had unleashed the Profound Nether One Qi Divine Thunder since his breakthrough.

Though he appeared nonchalant, as if he had barely exerted himself, he had in fact used his full strength.

The main characteristic of the Profound Nether One Qi Divine Thunder was its silence and formlessness. A full-power attack looked nearly identical to a casual strike, making it impossible to tell them apart.

Furthermore, its ability to annihilate Protective Spirit Light was enough to make any unfamiliar Cultivator suffer a great disadvantage. Just like the broad-faced, long-bearded Core Formation Cultivator—under normal circumstances, he should have been able to last for dozens of exchanges before showing any sign of faltering.

The creator of the Profound Nether Qi Formless Divine Thunder seemed to harbor a vendetta against the Five Thunders Sect. The entire manual was filled with jealousy and indignation toward the Sect, demanding that successors spare no effort in damaging the Five Thunders Sect’s prestige after mastering the technique—ideally, crushing the Sect completely.

WHOOSH!

Lii Guizhen ignited a Signal Talisman. Illusory maple leaves spread through the air, forming a massive image.

Several hours later, a squad of Cultivators arrived in haste.

After coming to a halt, they took a long moment to identify him before daring to step forward, bow, and offer their greetings.

“Steward Zhu Ming of the Law Enforcement Hall pays his respects to Master Lii… You have summoned us, Master. Please give us your instructions.”

Zhu Ming recognized him as Lii Guizhen—the man who had been in seclusion for years, the man rumored throughout the Sect to have had his foundation destroyed, leaving him with no future.

Yet, judging by his current state, the True Man was brimming with vitality, showing no signs of injury or internal maladies whatsoever.

“Why has no action been taken to aid the mortals in this county? If this continues, the death toll will be catastrophic. Resentment will fester, and Demon Cultivators could easily exploit it to trigger widespread plagues and reanimation of the dead. The cleanup would be a hundred times more complicated!”

Lii Guizhen’s words were sharp as he berated the group of Law Enforcement Hall disciples.

He wasn’t some recluse who knew only of ascetic cultivation and nothing of worldly affairs; in his youth, he had led a great army to quell the turmoil in Hejian County.

The Qingfeng Sect had established protocols for handling such natural and man-made disasters; disciples merely had to follow the procedures.

“Master, we are already doing our best to provide aid… but with fewer than two hundred disciples in the entire county, we are simply spread too thin.”

Zhu Ming’s face turned deathly pale as he offered a quiet defense.

“What about this county’s local Cultivators? Our Sect is aiding the mortals. Even if they are unwilling to help, can’t you go and press them into service?”

Lii Guizhen’s gaze turned cold as he continued.

“Are you going to tell me that you’re afraid to apply too much pressure in this newly recovered land, for fear of provoking the local Cultivators and incurring blame from the Sect?”

“I wouldn’t dare!”

Cold sweat streamed down Zhu Ming’s face, his back completely soaked.

‘Of course, he didn’t dare mention that the problem also stemmed from the supervising Elder’s own tendencies. The policy for governing the Central Province was to ally with local forces, quickly eliminate the Tribulation Cultivators, and restore order.’

‘Local powers with relatively clean pasts that had expressed their intention to become vassals were prime candidates for alliance; it was not advisable to show up at their doorsteps demanding personnel and resources.’

“What is the use of occupying such territory? How can we ensure that our Sect is the only voice of authority in the Central Province in the future!”

With a flick of his sleeve, Lii Guizhen pointed down at the mountain stronghold below.

“I have killed the leading Cultivators here and had the remaining several hundred disciples gather at the foot of the mountain. You are to order them to open their storehouses, organize them into squads, and send them to care for the refugees. If any group fails in its task, punish the entire group. Anyone who deliberately slacks off or passively resists—kill them!”

“As the Master commands.”

Zhu Ming, still bowed low, was trembling slightly. He only dared to straighten up long after Lii Guizhen had departed.

“Steward Zhu, are we really going to do this? This is completely contrary to the opinions of several Elders. The Law Enforcement Hall will definitely hold us accountable.”

A disciple at Qi Refining Perfection asked quietly. He had stepped down from his position as an Inner Sect Disciple, so he had a better understanding of the movements among the upper echelons.

“Do you dare disobey? Among all the Core Formation True Men, this Master Lii is one of the most ruthless. Just you watch; this won’t be the only local power to suffer. He’s also a direct disciple of the Ancestor. These factional struggles are none of our business. We just need to follow orders.”

Zhu Ming shook his head and began assigning tasks, dividing the captured local Cultivators into numerous small squads.

Taking plenty of Warrior Talismans, creating Puppets, and bringing a full ten Mid-Grade Storage Bags of Spirit Rice, he felt that at least the hundred thousand or so nearby refugees now had a chance to survive.

‘As a Qingfeng Sect disciple who had come of age in this new era, Zhu Ming had a vague feeling that Master Lii’s methods were actually quite to his liking.’

‘There was no need to be so deferential to those local powers.’

「The peak of Qii Mountain, Immortal Reception Platform.」

As a travel-worn Lii Guizhen strode into the grand hall, he immediately felt gazes land on him from all sides.

Counting himself, a full seven Core Formation True Men stood in the hall.

If Chen Shanyan hadn’t coincidentally broken through, only Wei Dao would have been left on Black Mountain.

Several Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Elders were also present, having been granted permission to observe.

Unfazed by the curious, astonished, and even angry stares, Lii Guizhen looked directly toward the head of the hall and finally saw the familiar figure.

A young, handsome face, with a faint smile perpetually on his lips, exuding the calm confidence of someone with everything under control.

His eyes seemed to hold everything, and no secret could escape their gaze.

“This disciple greets his Master.”

Lii Guizhen took several steps forward, realizing that even with his Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivation, gazing at his master was still like peering into a dense fog or facing an endless river.

To stare too long was to risk becoming lost within it.

“Not bad. Within a century, you have a chance to reach Core Formation Perfection…”

‘With Bai Zichen’s insight, how could he fail to notice the change in his disciple? His comprehension of the Core had taken a solid step forward.’

‘Before he attempts to form a Nascent Soul, there is nothing more on the path of the Great Dao that he needs to improve.’

‘This pleased him greatly. If the Sect could gain another Nascent Soul Cultivator, his own burdens would lighten considerably, freeing his hands for other things.’

‘He wouldn’t have to worry about traveling to some far-off place for a hundred years, only to return and find that the Sect had been destroyed in his absence.’

“Continue your earlier discussion. Don’t mind me; you can make the decisions on these matters yourselves.”

Bai Zichen waved his hand casually, his mind once again drifting as he immersed the better part of his consciousness in his Sea of Consciousness Space.

The dim scene of a furnace forging heaven and earth was gone, replaced by new phenomena. All sorts of celestial portents appeared in rotation, seemingly following a new kind of pattern.

Like a child with a new toy, Bai Zichen stared intently at every change, every evolution.

At his level of cultivation, he had no interest in how the Cultivators below executed policies or which methods they chose to employ.

As long as they didn’t violate his principles or cross a red line, he certainly wouldn’t restrict every Cultivator to walking the exact same path.

For Core Formation Cultivators who had a chance of reaching the Nascent Soul stage, their actions were a practical application of their own Dao and a defense of their own ideals.

If he wanted a hundred flowers to bloom, each achieving its own success, he could not be overly restrictive.

“Junior Brother Lii, your actions these past few months have been outrageous! How could you attack a vassal power without the approval of the council of Elders? A total of two Core Formation True Men and more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators have died at your hands. The repercussions are extremely dire!”

Longx Longx took aim at Lii Guizhen, her face an icy mask of frost.

“Multiple Vassal Sects have already issued strong protests, demanding an explanation from us and creating countless new problems! The people are unsettled in several counties, and there are already signs of wavering loyalty.”

“What vassal powers? All I know is that they sat by and watched as their people were displaced, as the masses under their rule fled their homes to beg for food, some even resorting to swapping children to eat. They refused to accept my suggestions and showed none of the proper attitude one should have when facing an Upper Sect.”

Lii Guizhen stared straight ahead, speaking slowly to the air.

“What use is there in keeping such Vassal Sects? I was merely administering a light punishment to serve as a major lesson, to make them understand our Sect’s rules, lest they make even more unforgivable mistakes in the future.”