Chapter 827: White Crow Patriarch's Response

At Golden Crow Immortal City!

Elder Baiwu sat inside the main hall, holding a communication jade slip with a solemn expression.

The news from the jade slip exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder: the Xuanyao Dao Palace had been annihilated, and two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Five Elements Sect had participated in that great battle.

It went without saying that Elder Jinfeng must also have died at the hands of the Five Elements Sect.

His strategy of "driving away wolves to devour tigers" had unexpectedly invited a formidable predator instead.

Although this news had not yet spread, it would soon cause a bloody storm in Dongyi. After all, the destruction of Xuanyao Dao Palace meant a complete reshuffling of power dynamics in Dongyi, from the highest echelons to the lowest.

Elder Baiwu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

For their Bathing Sun Sea Sect, this matter was, overall, a mixed blessing.

Previously, the power structure in Dongyi was divided equally among their three major sects. Now that Elder Jinfeng was dead, and with no certainty if Muqin and Kuzhu would return, those large mineral veins would be solely controlled by his Bathing Sun Sea Sect.

For instance, at Duojiu Mountain, which served as the dividing line between the three Dongyi sects, there was a large spirit stone mine. In the core area of the vein, a single scoop could unearth high-grade spirit stones, and occasionally even top-grade ones.

That area originally belonged to the Empty Mulberry Valley. However, once the Bathing Sun Sea Sect and Xuanyao Dao Palace learned of it, they certainly wouldn't allow the Empty Mulberry Valley to enjoy it exclusively. So, when the large spirit stone mine was discovered, Elder Jinfeng and Elder Baiwu directly led their disciples out in full force, forcefully pushing their territory to Duojiu Mountain and demanding a third share.

From then on, Duojiu Mountain became the central demarcation point for the three sects.

“Notify Xu Yingsheng to collect all the spirit stones extracted from Duojiu Mountain this month, leaving none for Xuanyao Dao Palace. Send all the geomancers within the sect to him, and ensure that the core mining area is completely excavated in the shortest possible time.”

As soon as Elder Baiwu finished speaking, Zhu Jun immediately nodded and sent out a communication talisman.

Inside the main hall, most of the Core Formation cultivators from the Bathing Sun Sea Sect who were in Golden Crow Immortal City were present. Xu Yingsheng, Elder Baiwu's second disciple, had been sent to guard Duojiu Mountain.

That area was previously co-managed by the three sects. When Empty Mulberry Valley was besieged by the Bathing Sun Sea Sect and Xuanyao Dao Palace, it naturally lost its right to a share. And now, Xuanyao Dao Palace was also gone.

Elder Baiwu believed that once the Five Elements Sect learned of this, they would certainly send people to claim the share of profits that belonged to Xuanyao Dao Palace.

Facing a power with two Nascent Soul cultivators in command, their Bathing Sun Sea Sect would ultimately have to compromise.

However, before that, he could maximize his own interests.

After giving these instructions, Elder Baiwu's mind returned to calm.

“Master, since that Chen Guixian achieved Nascent Soul stage, my conjecture was clearly correct.”

At this moment, Zhu Jun, who had also read the intelligence in the jade slip, spoke up.

Her conjecture, naturally, was that Chen Guixian was Chen Qingdi, the Dao Child of the One Yuan Dao Palace.

Indeed, it was to achieve Nascent Soul that he revealed his identity and used the Nine Heavens Demon-Purging Sect to acquire the Three Lights Divine Water.

But, he actually succeeded in achieving the Nascent Soul stage!

Zhu Jun's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she recalled that even with the Three Lights Divine Water, she had failed once. This suggested that her talent and foundation were inferior to Chen Qingdi's.

What a pity. If only she had been able to stop him in Golden Crow Immortal City back then, perhaps it would have been she who achieved the Nascent Soul stage.

Thinking this way, Zhu Jun grew even more agitated.

She felt she had missed the greatest opportunity to change her life.

Compared to her, Elder Baiwu was thinking much further ahead.

Over a hundred years ago, the One Yuan Dao Palace suffered a great humiliation: its Dao Child was killed, and its Saintess was abducted, all in plain sight.

Since then, it seemed they had learned their lesson. This time, Chen Qingdi was only allowed to reveal himself when he was about to achieve the Nascent Soul stage.

Furthermore, he was placed in the Five Elements Sect, a detached branch in the remote Eastern Wasteland, thus avoiding the turmoil of the Eastern Lands and the attention of the Demonic Path.

The current facts proved that the One Yuan Dao Palace's move was very shrewd.

It was just unknown whether Li Zhongji's expulsion from the Eastern Lands was part of this plan.

When Elder Baiwu and Elder Hunyuan became friends, the latter had vowed that once his cultivation reached mastery, he would certainly return to the Eastern Lands and smash the gates of the One Yuan Dao Palace!

Regardless, the Five Elements Sect could not be treated as a mere major Nascent Soul sect from the rural Eastern Wasteland. It had to be viewed as a direct lineage branch of one of the four great sacred lands of the Eastern Lands.

This news was certainly not good for the Bathing Sun Sea Sect.

After assessing the Five Elements Sect's strength and background, Elder Baiwu had already decided on a policy of not making them an enemy for the time being.

It was precisely for this reason that he instructed Xu Yingsheng to excavate as much as possible from the large spirit stone mine during the period of instability as the Five Elements Sect took over Xuanyao Dao Palace's territory.

“Master, there’s one more thing…”

At this point, Zhu Jun remembered a Five Elements Sect disciple imprisoned in the Bathing Sun Sea Sect's dungeon: Chu Zuoshu, whom she had captured when searching for traces of Chen Qingdi.

“This matter will certainly offend the Five Elements Sect. To prevent any leaks, perhaps we should just kill him.”

After Zhu Jun finished speaking, her beautiful face hardened, and she put forward her suggestion.

After listening, a glint of light flashed in Elder Baiwu's eyes.

The information he now possessed, when put together, strongly suggested that the head of the Five Elements Sect was none other than Chen Qingdi, the Dao Child of the One Yuan Dao Palace. Given his demonstrated cultivation speed and formidable battle record, he was likely no less significant than Ye Qing.

Once he learned of Chu Zuoshu's situation, he certainly wouldn't let it go unpunished, for the sake of the sacred land's reputation.

Therefore, Zhu Jun's suggestion was perfectly sound from this perspective.

But Elder Baiwu was thinking more profoundly.

Chu Zuoshu had disappeared in Golden Crow Immortal City, which was under the Bathing Sun Sea Sect's control. They were already the prime suspects, and his disappearance coincided precisely with when Chen Qingdi obtained the Three Lights Divine Water and passed through here on his way back from the Star Heaven Dao Sect.

Chu Zuoshu undoubtedly had a soul lamp at the Five Elements Sect. At a time when the Five Elements Sect had just overwhelmed Xuanyao Dao Palace, if his soul lamp shattered, indicating his death, it would be too difficult to conceal their involvement.

Furthermore, Zhu Jun's previous actions of sealing the teleportation array and conducting extensive searches of various merchant associations would not escape the notice of anyone paying attention.

When all this information was combined, wouldn't it be obvious to Chen Qingdi that Chu Zuoshu had died at the hands of their Bathing Sun Sea Sect?

“Release Chu Zuoshu. Send someone to personally deliver him to the Five Elements Sect. I will also write a letter of apology to be delivered to the One Yuan Dao Child at the same time.”

Elder Baiwu pondered for a moment, then spoke words that made Zhu Jun's eyes widen.

However, even though she was his senior disciple and concubine, Elder Baiwu's authority within the Bathing Sun Sea Sect allowed no questioning. So, since he had spoken, she could only nod reluctantly in agreement.

“The rise of the Five Elements Sect is something we can no longer ignore. I suspect that the One Yuan Dao Palace placed Chen Qingdi in the Eastern Wasteland precisely to seize the initiative when the major sects of the Eastern Lands begin to open up new territories later.”

“The Golden Flame Suanni, as a fire-element true spirit, is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, even its fur, for our Five Flames Veins. When the sacred lands take its inner core and essence blood to refine the Saint-Connecting True Spirit Elixir, we too must find a way to leverage our geographical advantage to gain a share of the remnants. Before that, the Bathing Sun Sea Sect must preserve its vital strength, as opening up desolate ruins will surely cost many lives.”

“Although we have had some misunderstandings with the Five Elements Sect, we did not send people to attack them in the Eastern Wasteland like Xuanyao Dao Palace did, so there is no irreconcilable enmity.”

“If we kill Chu Zuoshu, we will actively invite enmity, and even if we act with the utmost secrecy, there are countless wondrous techniques and secret arts in the Heavenly River Realm; there will always be a possibility of exposure.”

“If we send someone to deliver Chu Zuoshu now, and considering Elder Hunyuan and I are friends, which offers some leverage, and we offer an apology, the Five Elements Sect will certainly not be willing to completely fall out with us before they have fully assimilated Xuanyao Dao Palace's territory.”

Upon hearing Elder Baiwu's words, Zhu Jun and the other Core Formation cultivators of the Bathing Sun Sea Sect all had enlightened expressions.

Indeed, a master is a master; his foresight is profound.

“Then, whom should we send to the Five Elements Sect?”

Zhu Jun hesitated, then asked.

She feared Elder Baiwu would send her, as she was the one who caused the trouble.

But she definitely didn't want to go, so she raised her head and looked at her master with a feigned pitiful expression.

Elder Baiwu, who had originally intended to assign her, hesitated for a moment, then looked at the other Core Formation disciples standing nearby. Many lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.

After all, while there was a high probability of no life-threatening danger this time, having detained a Five Elements Sect disciple for so many years, incurring their wrath was quite possible.

“Master, Junior Brother Liu Nansheng was the one who captured him; perhaps he should be the one to escort him back.”

At this moment, Zhu Jun made the suggestion, and Liu Nansheng, standing nearby, immediately cursed inwardly.

*Wasn't it you who ordered me to capture him?* he thought.

“Very well, then. Nansheng, you'll have to put in some effort.”

But before Liu Nansheng could speak, Elder Baiwu had already nodded and decided.

Within the Bathing Sun Sea Sect, a Nascent Soul Elder's word was law, so Liu Nansheng could only force a smile and reluctantly nod in acceptance of the order.

“I'll go to the study to write the letter; you go retrieve the person first.”

Elder Baiwu said another word to Liu Nansheng, then rose. Zhu Jun immediately offered to grind ink for her master and followed him.

After the two left, Zhou Zhenghai immediately walked over to Liu Nansheng, sighing, “Junior Brother Liu, I told you so…”

*You knew and didn't say it sooner!*

Liu Nansheng clenched his fists, knowing it must be because of his previous tattling that Zhu Jun held a grudge against him.

But with Elder Baiwu's command, he could only obey.

Before long, he returned to the main hall with Chu Zuoshu, who had become noticeably thinner.

However, after waiting for half a day, Zhu Jun emerged from the study, her brows relaxed and cheeks flushed, and handed him a letter.

“Junior Brother Liu, Master has entrusted this matter to you because he values you. You must not fail his expectations.”

Hearing Zhu Jun's words, Liu Nansheng suppressed the anger in his heart, took the letter, and turned to leave with Chu Zuoshu.

Watching his retreating back, Zhu Jun let out a cold snort and returned to the study.

Elder Baiwu stood by the window, his expression solemn as he gazed at the beautiful seamless expanse of sea and sky beyond Golden Crow Immortal City. At that moment, the evening glow was suddenly obscured by dark clouds.