Exploring Immortality Cultivation-Chapter 919 - 5: The Sword Palace Calamity

[Alliance Leader He's Additional Update 4/5]

"You... you two shouldn't have come back." These were the first words spoken by Elder Ye Tianye, the Transmitting Technique Elder of Luochen Sword Palace, upon seeing Lian Xinjie and Lian Xingling.

As soon as Lian Xinjie returned to the sect, he brought Wang Qi to the Library Hall where Elder Ye Tianye resided. It was an ancient-looking small building, seemingly made from some kind of spirit wood, exuding an enduringly refreshing fragrance.

Ye Tianye was a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Perfection stage, having completed the Divine Separation Sense Transformation. With enough accumulation, he could steadily step into the Divine Separation Stage. In this fallen sect, which didn't even have a Body Integration Stage cultivator, he was an elite powerhouse and a figure of real power.

He had once been very close to Lian Yichen. When Lian Xinjie joined the sect, it was this elder who taught him the cultivation techniques.

"Elder Ye, is the current situation... very bad? What exactly happened to my master?" Lian Xinjie's initial words were sincere, but in the latter part, his emotions fluctuated slightly. However, Ye Tianye just assumed he'd heard some rumors and bitterly shook his head.

"Your master... Elder Lian... Ah..." Ye Tianye shook his head: "Previously, during the joint pursuit with the West Sea Dragon Clan of the Dragon Clan rebels, he encountered a powerful enemy. Of course, encountering a strong foe isn't a big deal... But, he ran away... Ran away with no consequence, if he had fought and lost, the punishment wouldn't have been too severe. However... all the others who went with him perished."

"Your master, he fled the battlefield."

"Fled... the battlefield." Lian Xinjie repeated the words, tasting the humiliation within.

Behind him stood the silent "Junior Brother Xia," holding a young girl, who had once defeated his Divine Separation Stage father while still in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

This alone was enough to shake his Dao Heart merely by hearing about it.

Ye Tianye smiled bitterly: "Initially, the Great Elder hoped to cover things up somewhat. But the Holy Emperor quickly issued an order, saying that... Alas. This matter couldn't be hidden from the start. Fleeing the battlefield inherently implicates the entire sect. The Great Elder knew but concealed it, betraying and deceiving the emperor, thus adding severity to the offense. Second Elder and Third Elder both had their cultivation levels decreased by a tier, and the Great Elder... lost two tiers."

Lian Xingling exclaimed: "The Great Elder was already at the last checkpoint to Body Integration. Losing two tiers... "

"A thousand years of hard work washed away, and the only hope for Luochen Sword Palace to reach Body Integration is now gone." Another icy voice came from the entrance of the Library Tower. A cold-faced old man pushed the door open. He was clad in the Sword Robe of Luochen Sword Palace, but his hair, robe, and even his sashes seemed forged from wrought iron, unmoved by the wind. He looked at Lian Xinjie and Lian Xingling, his eyes flashed with a murderous glaze: "You dare to return!"

Lian Xinjie was not Wang Qi, lacking the foundation to withstand the aura of the Divine Separation Stage. His face turned pale. If not for the Sword Cultivator's inherent backbone, he would have long knelt down. He gritted his teeth and said, "Before I left, my father only instructed me to bring Junior Brother Xia back... I know nothing..."

Ye Tianye exclaimed urgently: "Elder Chang, while it's true Elder Lian is at fault, it's not fair to blame these two!"

The cold-faced elder, known as Chang Huwu, was at the early Divine Separation Stage, his cultivation merely one line higher than Ye Tianye's. Seeing Ye Tianye stand in front of the two, he couldn't continue his anger. He turned instead to Wang Qi. Wang Qi, at this moment, was feigning coldness, eyes closed, resting. Feeling the undisguised malice from this Divine Separation Stage cultivator, Wang Qi opened his eyes, stood up, and bowed: "Greetings, senior."

Mi also pretended to be obedient: "Hello, immortal master..."

Although now with the help of external objects, Wang Qi could easily defeat a Divine Separation Stage cultivator one-on-one, and Mi could instantly eliminate a large group of Body Integration cultivators with a single move. However, now, both knew their purpose.

The old man snorted coldly: "Dull and witless, who knows what use there is in bringing them back!"

Wang Qi maintained his stiff expression, but inside he was murmuring: "Didn't they say Sword Cultivators are mostly expressionless? Shouldn't I be praised as having a Sword Heart of clarity for this?"

"Nonsense! Sword Cultivators aren't facially paralyzed!" Zhen Chanzi muttered quietly: "A Sword Cultivator remains unmoved by circumstances, cutting off thoughts as they arise, even if their expressions still aren't many, it's entirely different from facial paralysis!"

Mi seemed frightened, clinging to Wang Qi's leg. Wang Qi's hand pressed on the sword scabbard, simulating Sword Intent to resist the unintentional aura emitted by the old man.

Chang Huwu snorted coldly and turned to ascend the Library Tower. Only then did Lian Xinjie breathe a sigh of relief. Ye Tianye smiled bitterly: "You... now in Luochen Sword Palace, there is great resentment towards your master's faction. Several of your master's other disciples are heavily ostracized. And those guys... they've come to hate Elder Lian, and by extension, they hate you who are closest to him. Meanwhile, other disciples of Luochen Sword Palace view you as calamity bringers. The Third Elder, whose cultivation was reduced, sees you as a thorn in the side..."

Wang Qi then spoke: "So... everyone here is an enemy?"

Lian Xingling panicked. To Wang Qi, the Modern Cultivator, indeed all of Luochen Sword Palace was an enemy. Moreover, she had witnessed the many malicious spells of Wang Qi. If he intended, the entire Luochen Sword Palace would become history in a moment. She hurriedly restrained Wang Qi, saying: "Junior Brother Xia, you... don't be impulsive!"

Lian Xinjie hurriedly explained: "Elder Ye, Junior Brother Xia is the genius disciple my master secretly cultivated outside, constantly hunting demon beasts alone in the East Sea, emerging from a sea of corpses and blood, his temperament is a bit… peculiar."

Ye Tianye glanced at Wang Qi and then turned his gaze to Mi: "This little girl is..."

"Junior Brother Xia's sister, named Xia Mi."

"It indeed sounds like siblings... But, why is it that you are in the Golden Core Stage yet have such a young sister?" Ye Tianye glanced at Wang Qi's indifferent expression and shook his head: "Forget it, forget it, I suppose you have your own reasons. I won't ask. This child... come, let me have a look."

Ye Tianye brought Mi closer in his arms, looked at her earnestly, then nodded and said: "Indeed, she's just an ordinary member of the Human Clan, without any drugs or spells changing her body, and... her talent is unusually high. A rare and exquisite quality. Huh? She's actually practicing the sect's introductory mental method? Already developed mana? A genius!"

Ye Tianye was somewhat pleased: "Being able to bring such a young girl along shows you don't have any malicious intent."

Wang Qi nodded and said: "Thank you, Elder, for understanding."

Speak less if possible. The more you speak, the more mistakes you make.

Ye Tianye put Mi down. Mi walked over to Wang Qi, holding onto Wang Qi's waistband, with a timid look.

Ye Tianye was amused by her innocent and playful demeanor. He smiled at Wang Qi and said: "Xia Li, it's your first time returning to the sect; you haven't registered in the roster or lit the soul lamp yet, right? Follow me, I'll register you."

Luochen Sword Palace's roster is a massive jade slip which, besides recording names, can also record the aura of the name's owner. Wang Qi slightly adjusted his cultivation method, making it closer to the "Great Freedom Brushing Heart Mysterious Truth", and then left an imprint.

"Your understanding of the Great Freedom Brushing Heart Mysterious Truth is quite impressive, but it's not entirely pure; there seems to be a trace of... a trace of mixed color? Are you simultaneously practicing other cultivation techniques?" Ye Tianye was a bit puzzled, but he did not ask further. In Ancient Method Immortal Sect, probing into others' cultivation secrets is akin to provocation.

Afterward, Ye Tianye made a soul lamp for Wang Qi. The so-called soul lamp is extracting a wisp of soul and integrating it with the Eternal Lamp, extinguishing if the person dies. However, doing this could possibly leave a flaw—if the soul lamp is controlled by a skillful figure, they could use spells against the person who left the soul lamp.

Wang Qi certainly wouldn't do that. However, he had completed the Unity of My Method, and with his mana being mysteriously refined, he could pretend a part of his true essence characteristics were a wisp of soul or several thoughts—at least someone of Ye Tianye's Nascent Soul calibre wouldn't be able to discern the difference.

Then, Ye Tianye handed Wang Qi a jade token, saying: "This is the key token to your room, building A, room number twelve..."

Lian Xinjie frowned: "Isn't this Zhao Xing's Senior Brother Zhao's room?"

Ye Tianye sighed: "He ran away..."

"Ran away?"

"Hearts scattered." Ye Tianye shook his head: "The Great Elder was demoted by two realms, only at Mid-Stage Divine Separation. Luochen Sword Palace will not see a Unification Stage cultivator for a millennia; why would they stay here? Half of those talented, those other sects would accept, have already fled..."

Lian Xinjie finally realized just what kind of crisis Luochen Sword Palace faced.

The sect is on the brink of collapse...

After obtaining the room token, Wang Qi declined Lian Xingling's suggestion to take him to his quarters. It seemed these siblings had many matters to attend to, as well as numerous seniors to visit. Wang Qi thought it best to let them handle these matters.

After parting with the Lian siblings, Wang Qi recklessly extended his Spiritual Sense, searching for the location of Building A amidst the surroundings. Such a blatant move naturally drew the attention of many. Soon enough, high-order cultivators of Divine Separation and Nascent Soul used Spiritual Sense Transmission to communicate from afar, inquiring Ye Tianye about Wang Qi's origins.

Before long, Wang Qi's identity as "Lian Yichen's Disciple Xia Li" spread throughout the entire sect.

At this time, Wang Qi had just found his room.

Upon entering the room, he first took out Night Night Song to hang it in the corner, then placed several protective spells upon it. Afterward, he gently pushed Mi inside, pretending to be a good elder brother, and said softly: "Stay here, understand?"

Mi nodded her little head and silently burrowed into the tent.

Then, Wang Qi put away Night Night Song and left the room.

Following the original plan, Mi would use Transformation Divine Power within the tapestry which isolates Spiritual Sense, restoring a few drops of blood into the form of microorganisms and then finding an opportunity to scatter them outside. Although this wouldn't obtain unintended combat power, it would act as the best eyes and ears.

Just as Wang Qi left the room, the cold-faced Elder Chang snorted in the distance: "Night Night Song... huh, worthless thing."

"However, first a Ruyi Bag, then Night Night Song? That kid is quite wealthy, isn't he?"