Chapter 455 - 452: Netherworld Pavilion Master Exits Seclusion

Chapter 455: Chapter 452: Netherworld Pavilion Master Exits Seclusion

The forbidden grounds in the rear mountains of the Netherworld Pavilion.

This place was named the "Abyss," a location where the Supreme Elders and successive Pavilion Masters of the Netherworld Pavilion entered secluded cultivation.

The mountain face was as sheer as if carved by a blade. A waterfall cascaded from the clifftop, its roar echoing as the splashing mist shimmered with a cold, spectral light under the moon.

Within the heart of the mountain, a massive stone chamber had been carved out.

The chamber’s furnishings were exceedingly simple: a bed, a table, a cattail meditation cushion, and nothing more.

Set into the four walls were several Luminous Pearls, each the size of a longan fruit. They emitted a cool, clear radiance that brightly illuminated the chamber.

A figure was seated cross-legged upon the meditation cushion.

He appeared to be a man in his forties, with a handsome face, yet his brow held a world-weariness and depth that belied his age.

He wore a wide, dark robe, its corners embroidered with the Netherworld Pavilion’s distinctive flame pattern in gold thread. The design was intricate and exquisite, seeming to flow faintly under the glow of the Luminous Pearls.

His long hair was bound by an Ink Jade Hairpin, with a few stray strands falling across his forehead, adding a touch of untamed spirit.

This was the Pavilion Master of the Netherworld Pavilion—Ling Wuyuan.

Ranked third on the Martial Artist Ranking, he possessed a Peak First Grade Cultivation and had been trapped at this level for over a decade.

Over the years, he had set aside all worldly affairs of the Pavilion, pouring his entire being into comprehending the Martial Dao, attempting to take that final step into the Grandmaster Realm.

This was also why the Netherworld Pavilion had been presided over by the Vice Pavilion Master, Li Wushang.

"Ten years!"

Standing up, Ling Wuyuan stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones.

His joints let out a flurry of soft pops, which sounded exceptionally clear in the silent stone chamber.

He walked to one side of the chamber, where there was a mirror carved from a single piece of Ink Jade. Its surface was as smooth as glass, reflecting his figure.

After ten years of seclusion, the world-weariness in his features had deepened.

He raised a hand and gently brushed the mirror’s surface, his fingertips touching the cool jade.

"I have no choice but to come out."

Ling Wuyuan’s voice was still soft, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve.

He turned and walked out of the stone chamber.

His wide, dark robe fluttered slightly, his footsteps steady and strong, echoing through the deep stone passageway.

---

Deep within the Netherworld Pavilion, in the grand hall.

Li Wushang stood before a window with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowed as he stared out into the gloom.

The successive loss of four Second-Grade Elders, followed by the appearance of an incredibly arrogant thief who repeatedly plundered the Sect’s properties—

These matters were like massive boulders weighing on his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.

"Vice Pavilion Master."

Liu Jin’s voice, tinged with urgency, came from outside the hall.

"What is it?"

Li Wushang turned around, his voice flat but laced with impatience.

"The Pavilion Master... The Pavilion Master has come out of seclusion!"

Liu Jin’s voice trembled with unconcealed excitement.

Li Wushang froze for a moment, then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"The Pavilion Master is out of seclusion?"

His voice rose, carrying an irrepressible note of pleasant surprise.

He strode quickly out of the hall, his pace much faster than usual.

Passing through corridors and several moon gates, Li Wushang arrived at the Pavilion Master’s residence, which had not been opened in a long time.

A figure stood before the door with hands clasped behind his back, his wide, dark robe fluttering gently in the wind.

It was none other than the Pavilion Master, Ling Wuyuan.

"Pavilion Master!"

Li Wushang took a few steps forward, his voice filled with sincere joy.

"You’ve come out!"

Ling Wuyuan turned, his gaze falling upon Li Wushang’s face as he gave a slight nod.

"Let’s talk inside."

He turned and walked into the room.

Li Wushang followed close behind.

Ling Wuyuan sat in the main seat and gestured for Li Wushang to sit as well.

Li Wushang sat down, his eyes fixed on Ling Wuyuan’s face, a mixture of anticipation and apprehension in his gaze.

"Pavilion Master, during your seclusion this time... did you achieve a breakthrough?"

"No."

Ling Wuyuan fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

His voice was flat, betraying no emotion, but a flicker of hard-to-conceal complexity passed through his deep eyes.

"I am still a hair’s breadth away from becoming a Grandmaster."

Disappointment was plain on Li Wushang’s face.

’If the Pavilion Master had been able to break through and become a Grandmaster, the situation from now on would be vastly different.’

Unfortunately, what he had hoped for most had not come to pass.

"Then why did you suddenly come out of seclusion, Pavilion Master?"

After a moment, he voiced the question in his heart.

"If I hadn’t come out, I’m afraid you would have squandered what little foundation our Netherworld Pavilion has left."

Ling Wuyuan raised his eyes to Li Wushang’s face, a hint of coldness flashing in their depths.

His voice was still flat, but beneath that placid surface was suppressed fury.

Li Wushang’s face paled instantly. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Ling Wuyuan’s gaze.

"Pavilion Master..."

He began in a low, hoarse voice.

"I have been incompetent..."

"Incompetent? Indeed, your leadership has been incompetent."

Ling Wuyuan cut Li Wushang off, his voice still flat but carrying a suffocating pressure.

"In just a few short months, we’ve lost four Second-Grade Elders. We now have fewer than ten remaining."

Li Wushang’s head bowed even lower, fine beads of sweat forming on his temples.

He took a deep breath and began to speak slowly.

"Pavilion Master, the reason the conflict with the Qingxuan Sect has escalated is that a monstrous talent has emerged among them."

He paused, then continued.

"This young man is named Fang Han. At only twenty years of age, he has already reached the top of the Celestial Pride List."

"Furthermore, he has comprehended Sword Intent, and his combat power is enough to rival a Second-Grade expert."

He raised his head to meet Ling Wuyuan’s gaze, his voice tinged with urgency.

"If we can’t eliminate him before he fully matures, the Qingxuan Sect will certainly have another Grandmaster in the future."

"At that point, the balance of power between our Netherworld Pavilion and the Qingxuan Sect will be completely broken."

Having said his piece, he lowered his head once more, awaiting Ling Wuyuan’s response.

A long silence fell over the room.

Ling Wuyuan said nothing.

He simply stood with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze directed outside, his deep eyes unreadable.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"Twenty years old, number one on the Celestial Pride List, broken through to the Third Grade, and comprehended Sword Intent..."

His voice was soft, as if he were muttering to himself.

"His talent is truly astonishing."

He paused, turned, and his gaze fell on Li Wushang’s face.

"But do you think astonishing talent guarantees one will become a Grandmaster?"

The corner of his mouth curved into a faint arc, tinged with a hint of sarcasm and self-mockery.

"Throughout history, have there been few geniuses of stunning and brilliant talent who were trapped at the Peak of First Grade, unable to break through to become a Grandmaster?"

Li Wushang was silent.

Of course he knew.

The Grandmaster Realm was like a celestial chasm, an insurmountable barrier lying before countless geniuses.

Those brilliant talents, those figures who were famous in their time—how many of them were unable to take that final step in their entire lives?

"Whether this young man can become a Grandmaster in the future is still unknown."

Ling Wuyuan’s voice remained flat, yet it held an unquestionable certainty.

"And you, for the sake of a still-unknown threat, have caused our Netherworld Pavilion to lose four Second-Grade Elders."

He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"Li Wushang, tell me, was this trade worth it?"

Li Wushang opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but found he had no defense.

Four Second-Grade Elders were indeed a tangible loss.

And whether Fang Han would become a Grandmaster in the future was truly unknown.

"Your lesson is correct, Pavilion Master. I... was wrong."

He hung his head, his voice hoarse.

Ling Wuyuan glanced at him but said nothing more.

He turned, stood with his hands clasped behind him before the chamber door, and gazed at the distant, rolling mountain ranges, silent for a moment.

"Send out the order."

He spoke, his voice returning to its usual flatness.

"Prepare to negotiate with the Qingxuan Sect to end the conflict between us."

Li Wushang was taken aback. He looked up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Pavilion Master, the Qingxuan Sect holds the advantage now. I’m afraid... they won’t agree."

"Grandmasters are the true foundation of a Sect."

Ling Wuyuan didn’t turn back. His voice was flat, but it carried an unquestionable confidence.

"Although our Netherworld Pavilion has suffered losses, our foundation remains unharmed. The Qingxuan Sect will agree."

Li Wushang was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, I will see to it at once."

He stood up and turned to leave, his footsteps more disordered than when he had arrived.

Ling Wuyuan stood before the door with his hands behind his back, motionless for a long time, his deep eyes revealing no emotion.

---

「A little over a day later, at dusk.」

Night fell over Qingxuan Mountain like a light veil, the flying eaves of the mountain temples appearing and disappearing in the darkness.

Fang Han’s figure appeared at the sect’s main gate.

Using the cover of night, he avoided the Steward Disciples along the way and returned to Courtyard 35.

Qiu Lan was chatting with two maids under the corridor. Hearing the gate open, she looked up.

"Senior Brother!"

A flash of pleasant surprise lit up her eyes, and she hurried forward to greet him.

"You’re back."

Fang Han nodded slightly.

"Has anyone come looking for me these past few days?"

He asked casually.

"No."

Qiu Lan shook her head.

"No one came to disturb you."

"That’s good."

Fang Han said with a nod.

"Prepare some hot water for me. I want to take a bath."

After taking a bath and returning to his bedroom, Fang Han flopped onto the bed.

Several consecutive days of rushing around had not only left his body exhausted, but his mind had also been constantly on edge.

Now that he was back in the Sect, that tension finally dissipated.

Right now, all he wanted was to lie on the bed he hadn’t slept in for days and get a good night’s sleep, to soothe the physical and mental fatigue he had accumulated.

---

「The next morning.」

Fang Han, refreshed from a good night’s sleep, rose early to resume his daily cultivation routine.

He had just finished cultivating the Cyan Profound Technique when a soft knock came from the courtyard gate.

"Senior Brother, a disciple from the Sect Leader’s Hall asks to see you."

Qiu Lan’s voice sounded from outside the door.

Fang Han opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them before vanishing.

He got up, straightened his robes, and pushed the door open.

Outside the courtyard gate, a young man in the Disciple’s Robe of the Sect Leader’s Hall stood with his head bowed. Seeing Fang Han emerge, he quickly bowed in salute.

"Senior Brother Fang, the Sect Leader summons you to the Sect Leader’s Hall immediately."

"I’ll go at once."

Fang Han nodded slightly without asking any further questions.

He straightened his robes and followed the disciple toward the mountain’s peak.

As he walked, his thoughts began to turn.

’To be summoned right after returning is clearly no coincidence.’

’Although few within the Sect knew he had left for the past few days, the Sect Leader would naturally be aware.’

The Sect Leader’s Hall stood majestically, glowing with a soft luster in the morning light.

The disciples on duty before the hall’s entrance saw Fang Han approaching and quickly bowed in salute.

Fang Han gave a slight nod and stepped into the hall.