"So the Six Extremes Demon Sect was pulling the strings behind the Seven Profound Sect incident... I knew they were up to no good!"

Back in the Mist and Smoke Sect, a spy had already relayed the news the moment Elder You Qiang, Mu Huai, appeared at the Seven Profound Sect.

This, in turn, sparked a flurry of discussion in their sect’s main hall.

However, unlike the grim atmosphere that had initially gripped the Seven Profound Sect, the mood here was relaxed—even expectant.

"The Six Extremes Demon Sect is here!"

"Good. Their arrival is our opportunity..."

The Mist and Smoke Sect welcomed the arrival of the Six Extremes Demon Sect, viewing it as a chance to grow and expand. This way of thinking wasn’t because the Mist and Smoke Sect was strong enough to contend with the Six Extremes Demon Sect on its own.

If that were the case, the balance of power in Jade Lake City wouldn’t be a three-way stalemate.

Of course, they had their reasons for thinking this way—they had backing.

At that moment, the Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect and his wife instructed an elder below, "Have Xuan invite Elder Yang and Young Master Jiang from the Cloud Heaven Sect."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

When the name "Cloud Heaven Sect" echoed through the main hall, the expressions of nearly half the Mist and Smoke Sect’s elders changed to a look of... longing and reverence.

Luo Qi, the Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect, noticed this. He merely frowned, but he didn’t reprimand them.

Sects throughout the Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty were not all independent, nor were they all built from the ground up.

Many smaller sects were founded by disciples or retired elders from Major Sects.

These sects acted as the tentacles of medium-sized and Major Sects, extending their reach into various regions.

The relationship between the Mist and Smoke Sect and the Cloud Heaven Sect was just like this.

The Cloud Heaven Sect was based in the Prefecture City of Jade Province, where it was a dominant power.

The founder of the Mist and Smoke Sect had been an elder from the Cloud Heaven Sect.

When the sect was first established, the Mist and Smoke Sect received significant support from the Cloud Heaven Sect, which allowed it to firmly establish its Roots.

But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The Cloud Heaven Sect’s help didn’t come for free. Every year, the Mist and Smoke Sect had to offer up nearly half of its resources to the Cloud Heaven Sect.

For the next several hundred years, the relationship between the two sects was maintained. Furthermore, the most outstanding disciples of the Mist and Smoke Sect would go to the Cloud Heaven Sect for advanced training. Upon their return, many of them would take up high-ranking positions within the Mist and Smoke Sect.

As a result, many people in the Mist and Smoke Sect felt a natural affinity for the Cloud Heaven Sect.

The current Sect Leader’s daughter, Xuan, was herself a disciple of the Cloud Heaven Sect.

As for why the Mist and Smoke Sect was still only one of the three major factions in Jade Lake City despite having the Cloud Heaven Sect’s support, the reason was simple. The Cloud Heaven Sect had its own rivals in the Prefecture City. Its most talented disciples were busy competing for more important resources there and had no time to spare for the unremarkable Jade Lake City.

In fact, some of the Mist and Smoke Sect’s disciples with superior Talent who went to the Upper Sect for training never returned, choosing instead to remain with the Cloud Heaven Sect.

It was undeniable that they had better prospects for advancement there.

This continuous drain of talent and resources was also why the Mist and Smoke Sect had always remained mediocre in Jade Lake City.

’Now, our chance has come.’

The Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect thought to himself, ambition glittering in his eyes.

’The Six Extremes Demon Sect has established a Demon Hall in the Prefecture City, which is as good as a direct confrontation with the Cloud Heaven Sect.’

’But because of the threat of Evil Spirits and suppression from the Dynasty, the two major sects can’t declare open war. They can only fight covertly in various domains.’

’The Six Extremes Demon Sect has sent people to Jade Lake City to gather resources and select talent. Naturally, the Cloud Heaven Sect won’t just sit by and watch. They’ve also sent elders and True Disciples to interfere.’

’But the main battlefield for these two Major Sects isn’t Jade Lake City—it’s the Prefecture City. Therefore, the Cloud Heaven Sect won’t dispatch too much force here, much less station anyone here long-term.’

’In all likelihood, they’ll forge the Golden Armor Sect, the Seven Profound Sect, and the Mist and Smoke Sect into an alliance to fight the Six Extremes Demon Sect. And because of our close relationship, the position of Alliance Leader will surely be mine!’

As the Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect, Luo Qi was naturally ambitious.

Not to mention, if he could control the resources of Jade Lake City, he might be able to advance to the next level. That wouldn’t just mean a boost in power and status; it would also come with a longer lifespan.

And no one wanted to die.

’The position of Alliance Leader of Jade Lake City will be mine!’

He was a man of ambition. Just as he was lost in thought, an elder of the Mist and Smoke Sect approached, as deferential as a servant.

Under his respectful guidance, an old man and a group of teenage boys and girls entered the main hall.

The old man had an ethereal, sage-like air about him. His Qi Cultivation Skill was clearly profound, and he exuded a comforting presence that seemed in harmony with the Dao itself.

The teenagers, however, were different. Filled with the characteristic recklessness of youth, they looked around with an unconcealed arrogance.

"Xuan, is this the main hall of your Mist and Smoke Sect? It’s a bit too plain, isn’t it? It’s not even as nice as one of the side halls in our sect."

As the Sect Leader’s daughter, Luo Xiaoxuan was effectively the Young Sect Leader of the Mist and Smoke Sect.

But upon hearing the Cloud Heaven Sect disciple’s disdain for the Mist and Smoke Sect, not only did she fail to defend her own sect, she swept her gaze around with a look of displeasure and annoyance, as if blaming her home for embarrassing her.

Then, she spoke bluntly, without any reservation, "What do you mean, ’your sect’? I’m an Inner Sect Disciple of the Cloud Heaven Sect now!"

"CRACK..."

Her words were like a vicious slap across the faces of everyone from the Mist and Smoke Sect. It made the expressions of some of the sect’s elders and original disciples turn ugly.

After all, the Cloud Heaven Sect and the Mist and Smoke Sect had been separate for several hundred years. While they had their connections, they naturally had their conflicts as well.