Chapter 235 - 152: The Entire Sect in an Uproar

Chapter 235: Chapter 152: The Entire Sect in an Uproar

No matter how he calculated it, this deal didn’t seem like a loss.

"Is Senior so certain that I will be able to protect the Beardless Sect when that day comes?"

Jiang Hao gave a helpless, bitter smile. Based on Mu Wan Ning’s previous descriptions of the situation on Thousand Sects Island and the information he had gathered, it wasn’t hard to figure out. Once the pillar of the Beardless Sect—an expert at the Peak of the Ninth Heaven of the Saint Realm—passed away in meditation, a war of annihilation launched by all the other sects on the island would undoubtedly await them. The invaders would carve up its Spirit Veins, resources, and legacy.

In a battle between Great Cultivators over an inheritance, the thousand sects would never leave any loose ends. They would slaughter every last disciple of the Beardless Sect; those capable of escaping would be few and far between.

Not giving Master Beardless a chance to reply, Jiang Hao immediately hit the nail on the head. "Senior, you are asking me to make an enemy out of the entire Thousand Sects Island in the future."

This wasn’t a promise; it was entrusting an entire sect to his care!

Once Jiang Hao accepted this commitment, he would face an unimaginably perilous situation down the line.

A hint of surprise flashed through Master Beardless’s eyes. The foresight of the youth before him astonished even a ten-thousand-year-old Saint like himself.

Hearing this, Master Beardless’s gaze dimmed significantly. He asked weakly, "If that day truly comes, what do you plan to do, Young Master?"

Obviously, with just one sentence, Jiang Hao had seized the initiative. At this moment, the demand for a promise evolved into a plea.

Jiang Hao slowly raised his eyes, already having an answer in his heart.

Between the Celestial Sword Sect and the Ten Great Daoist Lineages, he already faced a sky full of world-shocking foes. In the face of these behemoths, a tiny Thousand Sect Island Realm didn’t seem all that significant in the grand scheme of things. When the enemies standing before you were so numerous and powerful that they broke all limits, having one more batch or one less batch didn’t really matter.

"If that day truly comes and the Beardless Sect is in peril, I will do everything in my power to ensure a shred of the Beardless lineage survives. However..."

"However what?"

"However, it might not be on Thousand Sects Island."

The youth’s answer was clear. If that day came and he possessed the strength, he would do his utmost to escort a portion of the Beardless Sect’s cultivators off Thousand Sects Island to preserve their last sliver of legacy. As for how many he could save, that would depend on the will of heaven.

Master Beardless’s aged body trembled slightly at those words, as if he had just glimpsed a corner of the Beardless Sect’s future. Ultimately, he slowly closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

After a brief moment, the forlorn Saint opened his eyes and bowed deeply to the youth.

"I entrust the future sparks of the Beardless Sect to you, Young Master. From this day forward, this old man is willing to be a paving stone on your path, and I will definitely help you soar out of Thousand Sects Island."

Hearing this, Jiang Hao returned the bow deeply.

Both parties knew just how difficult this transaction was. Even if the youth reached the Saint Realm by that day, trying to escort the Beardless Sect’s spark away from Thousand Sects Island would be as hard as scaling the heavens. Perhaps on that day, even a Saint Realm Venerable wouldn’t be enough to protect them. The youth would need to marshal every ounce of strength behind him to stand against the entirety of Thousand Sects Island.

It would be an unprecedented holy war with such a wide-reaching impact that it might stir up more than half of the Eastern Domain.

"I hope you will keep today’s words a secret, Young Master. This matter is of utmost importance. Only heaven, earth, you, and I can know of it. From this moment on, this old man will absolutely not fail you.

"I only hope that in a hundred or a thousand years, you will not fail this old man either."

With that, the promise between the two was finalized. At this moment, the seeds were sown for a future torrential storm that would sweep across the entirety of Thousand Sects Island.

Time slowly passed.

After their conversation, the two flew swiftly toward the Beardless Sect.

Jiang Hao didn’t directly ask Master Beardless about the details of the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top." Doing so would be disadvantageous to him. He planned to slowly research this information himself once he had established a foothold in the Beardless Sect. Something that could draw the covetous gaze of a Sword Dao Saint Venerable—someone who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Sword Dao—was undoubtedly earth-shattering.

One month later.

"Young Master, up ahead is Beardless Island, which is also the stationed headquarters of the Beardless Sect. From now on, everything on this island will be your backing in the Thousand Sect Island Realm."

Looking at the vast, boundless island before him and feeling its unimaginably dense Spiritual Qi, Jiang Hao was slightly surprised.

Only now did he truly understand Master Beardless’s concerns. Tens of thousands of years ago, the Beardless Sect must have been an exceedingly glorious Holy Sect. This could be seen from its superior geographical advantages and the grand, magnificent site of the sect.

Although the Beardless Sect wasn’t built on any of the three great Celestial Veins, it was situated at the convergence of three hundred Earth Veins. In terms of Spiritual Qi, resources, and the like, it was barely inferior to a Celestial Vein.

This was the most fatal aspect. An innocent man invites disaster by simply possessing a treasure. When a sect’s strength gradually failed to match the resources it controlled, it would only attract monumental catastrophe. Perhaps at this very moment, countless Holy Sects were already eyeing them like hungry tigers, salivating at the prospect, just waiting for the day the Beardless Elder passed away in meditation.

"What a wonderful Holy Land for cultivation. Who could resist its temptation?"

Gazing at the Holy Island, which floated above the Xuanhai with a heavenly waterfall cascading down tens of thousands of feet, even Master Beardless couldn’t help but sigh with endless emotion.

"After you, Young Master."

The two flew toward Beardless Island. The terrifying Sect Protection Array slowly opened, and the two white-haired elders guarding it both stared at the white-clad figure behind the Sect Leader.

They were two Divine Kings, but they were in their twilight years, the vitality within their bodies slowly draining away. Compared to the Cyan Mist Sect, which only dispatched the younger generation to guard their array entrance, the Beardless Sect’s deployment of Divine Kings painted a heavy, poignant stroke over the bleakness of this declining Holy Sect.

"Sect Leader, who is this youth...?"

Seeing the Sect Leader bring back a youth emitting a Mortal Shedding aura, the two white-haired elders were both slightly taken aback.