"No matter what, we must show an attitude regarding this matter, otherwise Guan Xuejiang will definitely keep pushing and gradually suppress us."
"That’s true, but what should we do?" asked a chubby elder beside him.
"Let’s make Zhao Ya the scapegoat first. Isn’t Guan Xuejiang trying to use him as a tool against us? Then we’ll find a way to kill him. This not only serves as a warning to Guan Xuejiang but also reminds other disciples, making them afraid to oppose us," Xia Jiye said viciously.
"Good, I agree."
"I agree too."
For a moment, these elders all expressed their agreement.
"So when do we make our move?" the chubby elder asked.
"We certainly can’t act within the temple, nor can we make a move ourselves, so it’s best to find someone to deal with him when he’s out. Wait until after the New Year, then I’ll contact someone," Xia Jiye said coldly.
He was seriously intent on killing this time.
If Zhao Ya had only embarrassed him in public before, this time Xia Jiye genuinely felt threatened by Zhao Ya.
This child must be eliminated; otherwise, peace would indeed be hard to find in his heart.
While Xia Jiye and his group were conspiring on how to handle the current predicament, this matter quickly spread through various channels, soon becoming known to all major sects.
North Canglong.
As a powerful faction that had split off, North Canglong also occupied a high mountain, constructing a grand temple patterned after Azure Dragon Temple.
North Canglong even went as far as hiring skilled craftsmen to carve a giant dragon on the mountainside, using this as their cliff-side Azure Dragon.
All these signs unmistakably revealed North Canglong’s ambition.
In fact, from the moment they split off, North Canglong had always regarded themselves as the orthodox branch of Canglong, referring to South Canglong as the reversed vein.
At this time, Luo Congkuan and several elders of North Canglong were discussing the recent events in South Canglong.
"Yu Zhang had quite a good relationship with me back in the day, who would have thought a misguided decision led him to join South Cang Reversed Vein, resulting in such an end," an elder sighed.
Luo Congkuan’s focus was not on this; he furrowed his brow, thinking for a long while before speaking in a deep voice.
"As far as I know, there are three factions within South Canglong. One, led by Guan Xuejiang, includes Shen Yunshen and Qin Jianji; they are part of his faction."
"Secondly, there is the interest group composed of Instructor Elders like Yu Zhang and Xia Jiye. Although these elders don’t hold high positions, they have a significant number, making them the largest faction among the three in South Canglong."
"Lastly, there are some neutral members who generally don’t participate in South Canglong’s internal affairs, so they can be ignored."
"And Yu Zhang’s death this time clearly signifies that Guan Xuejiang wants to take action against Xia Jiye and others."
The elders nodded in agreement after hearing this.
"Guan Xuejiang has been enduring for so many years, and now he suddenly decides to act, clearly having his own agenda. However, Xia Jiye and others are not easy to deal with either, so the upcoming story should be quite exciting," an elder laughed.
"Moreover, if this issue is handled slightly improperly, it could turn into another war of separation. By then, it would be our opportunity to eliminate South Cang Reversed Vein and restore orthodoxy," another elder said.
Hearing this, everyone’s eyes brightened.
Luo Congkuan nodded solemnly and said, "That’s right, so during this time, we must pay close attention to the matters on the South Canglong side. The informants we planted before should now be activated to ensure we receive information at the first sign of movement."
"Understood, I’ll take care of it shortly."
"Also, keep an eye on Zhao Ya; I have a feeling this guy is not simple," Luo Congkuan said.
"Hmm."
After the discussion concluded, everyone dispersed.
Luo Congkuan did not leave; he continued discussing for a while with a few remaining elders before asking.
"Has there been any recent activity with the Temple Master?"
"No, the Temple Master is still in seclusion. I’ve assigned several disciples to guard around the clock to ensure nothing goes wrong," an elder replied.
"Alas, I hope the Temple Master can break through the realm soon and gain freedom. By then, Guan Xuejiang and Guo Luming will be as weak as chickens, and unifying the Beyond the World wouldn’t be difficult," Luo Congkuan said.
"Rest assured, the Temple Master is a genius; he achieved the breakthrough of Ren and Du Meridians into the Meridian Opening Realm at twenty-two and entered Primordial Sea at thirty-five. His achievements are unprecedented, so he’s sure to succeed in Breaking Realm," an elder said.
"I know, I just hope that day comes sooner," Luo Congkuan said.
-----------------
Wanghai Tower.
Pei Quan’an learned about the Azure Dragon Temple’s matters from his master, Shen Jiu.
When he heard that Zhao Ya had managed to bring down an elder from his own sect after joining,
Even though he harbored deep hatred toward Zhao Ya, Pei Quan’an couldn’t help but be amazed.
"Master, isn’t Zhao Ya afraid of retaliation for doing this?"
"Who knows, but since he willingly acts as Guan Xuejiang and others’ knife, he should be prepared to get broken by someone at any moment."
"You’re saying his end won’t be good?" Pei Quan’an’s eyes lit up, and he asked immediately.
"Of course, unless his skills improve rapidly, his ultimate outcome will certainly be tragic. I’m telling you this to warn you against acting recklessly; always plan before taking action."
"Understood, Master."
"I heard you’ve been getting close to Nangong Yanran recently. Let me remind you, have fun but don’t cause any life issues; unless you want to marry her, I won’t be able to help you clean up," Shen Jiu said.
"Don’t worry, Master, I have a sense of proportion. Besides, Nangong Yanran is the one making the moves; I’d be foolish not to take advantage," Pei Quan’an laughed.
"You rascal, go practice your skills," Shen Jiu said with a chuckle.
Pei Quan’an exited. Once outside, he straightened his back.
"Senior Brother, what did Master say to you?" Nangong Yanran, who had been waiting outside, quickly approached him.
"Not much, just talking about matters in Jianghu," Pei Quan’an said.
Seeing no one around, Pei Quan’an embraced Nangong Yanran, smiling as he said.
"Come, keep Senior Brother company, and tell me about your childhood friend Gui Xuanqing’s family."
Nangong Yanran replied a bit helplessly, "What do you want to know?"
"Focus on the Ink Sea that the Gui family possesses. I’ve heard their wealth largely comes from it."
"Yes."
"Then tell me all about it; Senior Brother is very interested," Pei Quan’an said, embracing Nangong Yanran as they walked to his place.
Not only North Canglong and Wanghai Tower, but also Purple Swallow Forest Pavilion, Celestial One Pavilion, Dragon Elephant Institute, and other major sects showed various reactions after learning about the news.
However, everyone understood that this matter was merely a fuse.
South Canglong would be tumultuous from now on.
And Zhao Ya’s name began to spread because of this, remembered by many.
Unaware of the outside disturbances, Zhao Ya was entirely absorbed in the ocean of martial arts at this moment, living a highly routine and even monotonous life.
After getting up, washing, and eating breakfast, he would spend the whole day in the Library, then practice in a secluded spot on the back mountain at night.
Every day went like this until the first day of the Lunar New Year.
On this day, Zhao Ya woke up early, first paying respects to Qin Jianji, Shen Yunshen, and other friendly elders, then heading to the Library to continue reading.
Seeing this, even Guo Luming could not bear it.
"You’ve been busy for so long; it’s New Year. Take a day to rest."
Zhao Ya only smiled at this.
"Resting at home is more boring; staying in the Library is more interesting."
Guo Luming had no choice but to let Zhao Ya be.
Finally.
After reviewing all the secret manuals on leg skills,
On the evening of the New Year’s Day, Zhao Ya was moving and practicing in a forest. After a long session, he finally received a long-awaited prompt.
[Little Five Paths Chasing Soul Leg upgraded successfully]
[Learned Leg Technique: Planting Lotus in Fire]