Chapter 262: Investigation [1]

Deep within the secluded inner sanctum of the Emerald Purity Sect, high above the mist-shrouded bamboo forests, sat a grand circular chamber carved directly into the living Jade Peak.

The room was illuminated by the dim, flickering blue light of spiritual lanterns, casting long, somber shadows across four aged figures gathered around a massive round table made of polished spirit-wood.

These were four of the most influential grand elders of the Emerald Purity Sect: Elder Soul Cleansing Buddha, his bald head gleaming in the dim light as he silently rolled wooden prayer beads through his fingers.

The Old Eccentric Elder, slumped lazily in his chair with a flask of fermented medicinal wine hanging loosely from his belt.

The Life Chasing Elder, sharp-eyed and austere, his long green robes embroidered with intricate life-giving acupuncture needles; and the Undisputed Fist Elder, a broad-shouldered, scar-faced powerhouse whose massive, leather-bound arms rested heavily on the table.

The atmosphere in the chamber was stifling, thick with the weight of looming war.

“The situation in the Hashian range has spiraled entirely out of our control,” the Life Chasing Elder spoke first, his tone cold and measured as he rested his lean fingers on the polished spirit-wood.

“The Glorious Mythical Sect is no doubt going to fall. Their mountain defenses are crumbling under the weight of the Holy Crusade, and their grand array has already developed fatal fractures. But our primary concern isn’t their survival—it is how we, the Emerald Purity Sect, are going to secure our rights over the Northern Hashian Mountains once the dust settles.”

“Rights?” the Old Eccentric Elder snorted, taking a quick swig from his wine flask before wiping his chin with the back of his sleeve.

“You speak of territorial rights while the Myriad Heaven Sect is formally deploying their grand fleet? The moment those eastern titans cross the border, the entire geopolitical map of the Hashian ranges will be rewritten in blood!”

The Undisputed Fist Elder leaned forward, the wooden chair creaking under his sheer mass.

His sharp, battle-hardened gaze swept across the table. “If the Myriad Heaven Sect goes to full-scale war against the Church of the God of the Sky, how exactly are they planning to win? The Church has paladins marching by the thousands and a holy inquisitorial vanguard backed by divine mandates.”

“It is not a question of numbers, Brother,” Elder Soul Cleansing Buddha replied smoothly, his low, rhythmic voice carrying a calming yet solemn weight that echoed off the jade walls.

He stopped rolling his prayer beads for a brief second, his eyes half-closed. “The Myriad Heaven Sect and the Holy Church are surprisingly equal in absolute top-tier strength. After all, the Pope of the Church is a peak Martial Emperor, and the Sect Leader of the Myriad Heaven Sect is likewise a peak Martial Emperor.”

“Two Martial Emperors…” the Life Chasing Elder murmured, his jaw tightening.

“Precisely,” Soul Cleansing Buddha continued, his expression remaining placid yet deeply grave.

“At that level of existence, pure martial power ceases to be the deciding factor. They are two immovable mountains standing at the pinnacle of the mortal realm. The main issue will not be who possesses the stronger martial technique, but who is more calculating, more ruthless, and more scheming between the two.”

Soul Cleansing Buddha paused, letting his next words sink into the quiet room.

“However… if two true Martial Emperors were to throw away all restraint and go all out against each other on this land, the fragile balance of the entire region will shatter. The Four Hashian Mountains—North, South, East, and West—will simply not survive the shockwaves of their clash. Entire mountain ranges will be flattened, ley lines destroyed, and millions of living souls wiped out in the crossfire.”

An abrupt, crushing silence fell over the chamber.

Not a single elder spoke.

Even the Old Eccentric Elder stopped reaching for his wine flask, his mischievous eyes darkening into rare, uneasy contemplation.

Everyone sitting around the round table knew that Soul Cleansing Buddha’s assessment was not an exaggeration; it was the brutal, unvarnished truth.

A war between two Martial Emperors was a regional catastrophe waiting to happen, and their Emerald Purity Sect was sitting right on the periphery of the impending blast radius. Accepting such a grim reality was heavy, suffocating, and terrifying.

Seeing the mood in the room rapidly deteriorating into bleak despair, the Old Eccentric Elder let out a loud, dramatic cough, slapping his palm onto the table to break the icy tension.

“Aah, enough of these apocalyptic doom-and-gloom speeches!” the Old Eccentric Elder chuckled, leaning back in his chair with a wide, toothy grin as he sought to bring life back into the room.

“We are old men worrying about dragons fighting in the sky while ignoring the strange little mice running around in our own kitchen!”

The Undisputed Fist Elder raised a thick eyebrow. “What nonsense are you blabbering about now, Eccentric?”

“Nonsense? Ha!” The Old Eccentric Elder stroked his scruffy beard, his eyes twinkling with sharp curiosity. “I am talking about the sudden, bizarre occurrence in our very own Outer Disciple District! Have none of you heard the latest gossip floating through the lower pavilions?”

“You mean the four low-ranking outer disciples?” the Life Chasing Elder asked, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he picked up the thread.

“Exactly!” the Old Eccentric Elder grinned, leaning forward. “Those four boys were at the absolute bottom of the sector ranks. For two years, they were stuck as mere Initial-stage Martial Warriors—mediocre talent, weak meridians, practically forgotten by the sect instructors. Yet, just yesterday, they returned from a simple, routine foraging mission in the lower valleys near Mount Laobao… and every single one of them has miraculously jumped a whole realm!”

“Jumped a realm?” the Undisputed Fist Elder frowned, his massive fists tightening on the table. “From Initial-stage Martial Warrior directly to Initial-stage Martial Master? Overnight?”

“Indeed,” the Life Chasing Elder chimed in, his medical background instantly making him skeptical.

“Advancing an entire cultivation realm in a matter of hours without years of marrow-washing or high-grade spirit pill consumption is medically and fundamentally impossible for cultivators of their caliber. Even if they found a minor spirit herb, it would have blown their weak meridians apart, not refined them into Martial Masters.”

Elder Soul Cleansing Buddha slowly opened his eyes, the placid look on his face replaced by a deep, penetrating stillness.

“Four disciples breaking through simultaneously… skipping sub-stages without foundation damage. This is no mere stroke of good fortune or lucky encounters with wild herbs.”

“It is highly suspicious,” the Undisputed Fist Elder grunted, his voice echoing darkly in the chamber. “In times like these, with war knocking on our doors, such unnatural anomalies within our own grounds cannot be swept under the rug.”

“I agree,” the Life Chasing Elder stated firmly, adjusting the green sleeves of his robe.

“This must be thoroughly investigated. We need to know what they encountered in those lower valleys—or rather, who bestowed such impossible power upon them.”