Chapter 23: Motivation, Killing, and the Divine Iron Sword Pellet

Facing the expectant gazes of these Core Formation cultivators of the Green Thunder Sect, Chen Daoxuan smiled faintly and said:

"This Seat has cultivated for nearly a thousand years and reached today's Nascent Soul Peak realm. Indeed, I have had some fortuitous encounters and accumulated a few Nascent Soul opportunities."

"I was thinking of using these Nascent Soul opportunities to cultivate a Nascent Soul for the Green Thunder Sect, to repay some Cause and Effect, and see if there might be a chance for Divine Transformation."

As he spoke, Chen Daoxuan restrained the smile on his face, paused for a moment, then continued calmly:

"It's just that, under the sweep of this Seat's divine sense, the decline of the Green Thunder Sect is not without cause."

"In this short span of three days, this Seat has already seen that among those tens of thousands of outer disciples, thousands of inner disciples, and even those several hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, there are violations of sect rules happening in broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of all."

"Even colluding with forces outside the sect."

"As for other problems, one can well imagine."

"Hearts are restless, with not the slightest cohesion of the sect to speak of."

"This Seat asks myself: even if a Nascent Soul were cultivated in such a sect, it would likely be useless, and might even be eroding the Green Thunder Sect's dharma lineage and destiny.

"I have occasionally wondered whether selecting a portion of people to start anew and re-establish the Green Thunder Sect's dharma lineage might be better?"

Instantly, the expressions of all the Core Formation cultivators of the Green Thunder Sect changed drastically.

"We implore Green Ancestor to calm his anger!"

"Green Ancestor, please forgive us."

Regarding this, Chen Daoxuan's mood did not waver in the slightest. From the soul-search of Qian Qianyun, he knew that among these fifteen people, including Qian Qianyun herself as Zhangsun, not a single one could be said to be devoted to the public good; even those who could balance public and private interests were none.

The upper echelons were a scattered sand, each with their own selfish motives, which led to the Green Thunder Sect's current state of decline.

Otherwise, relying on the Green Thunder Sect's profound foundation, it would not have fallen to such a state in just over three hundred years after the last Nascent Soul cultivator passed away in meditation.

Since he had taken this Green Thunder Sect as his foothold in the Tianling Great Realm, and as a force to help him cultivate the Merit Path in this realm, it naturally could not remain in its current state.

It needed to change.

……

After sitting in silence for several breaths, Chen Daoxuan finally spoke.

"Enough. With the Nascent Soul cultivator's passing and the erosion from other forces over these three hundred years, your single-minded cultivation and neglect of the sect's affairs can be considered understandable."

"However, since this Seat has come, these situations that corrupt the sect's merit and destiny cannot be allowed to continue."

As he spoke, Chen Daoxuan extended three fingers.

"I give you three months to cleanse the roots and return to the source, to purge the sect."

"Three months from now, whoever satisfies this Seat the most will not only receive a Nascent Soul opportunity, but will also be bestowed a Numinous Treasure.

Additionally, those with outstanding performance will also receive generous rewards."

After speaking, a trace of surprise flashed in Chen Daoxuan's eyes, and a flash of thunder-light swept around his body as he vanished without a trace.

"We obey Green Ancestor's dharma decree!"

The fifteen Core Formation cultivators within Qing Lei Dian all, in an instant, radiated soaring fighting spirit.

Each secretly resolved to be wholeheartedly devoted to the public good, to reorganize the sect, and to not disappoint the expectations of Chen Daoxuan, this sect ancestor.

……

At this time, Chen Daoxuan had already teleported several thousand li, arriving at the border of Qing Lei Jun, where the Green Thunder Sect was located.

His vast divine sense at the Soul Egress stage had already enveloped that streak of sword-light a thousand li away, flying at extreme speed toward the Green Thunder Sect from the neighboring Iron Sword County.

He also sensed the malicious killing intent toward the Green Thunder Sect from the Nascent Soul cultivator controlling the sword-light.

Regarding this, Chen Daoxuan pondered slightly, his eyes full of a warm, jade-like gentleness, and he let out a sigh.

But following his will, within the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm, the Xuanwu Dharma Aspect let out a Xuanwu's cry and spat out a beam of Xuanwu divine light.

……

The elderly Nascent Soul Mid-Stage cultivator of the Iron Sword Sect, having crossed several thousand li, was just about to enter Qing Lei Jun where the Green Thunder Sect was located.

He suddenly felt a jolt in his heart.

In an instant, he halted his sword-flight.

With a solemn expression, he gazed toward Qing Lei Jun a thousand li away and fell into thought.

But before he could make a decision in his heart, he heard a sound like the simultaneous cry of a tortoise and a snake, a flash of mysterious light entered his perception, and then he directly lost consciousness.

His entire Flesh Dharma Body, Zi Fu Nascent Soul, as well as the Numinous Treasure, talismans, and other external objects on his body, all dissolved beneath the Xuanwu divine light.

Only a tattered, dark sword pellet let out a wail.

……

"Mm!"

Chen Daoxuan sensed that, a thousand li away, the Nascent Soul cultivator who had perished and vanished from the path under a beam of Xuanwu divine light from the Xuanwu Dharma Aspect actually still had something remaining.

Looking at that dark sword pellet, battered and nearly ruined after enduring the Xuanwu divine light.

A trace of surprise rose in Chen Daoxuan's heart.

"Could this be the superior-grade Numinous Treasure passed down in the Iron Sword Sect, the sect-protecting Divine Iron Sword Pellet?"

Sensing this egg-sized dark sword pellet, Chen Daoxuan actually sensed within it a trace of a special Aura that even he could not fathom.

"Interesting, to be able to withstand the Xuanwu Dharma Aspect's Xuanwu divine light unleashed at full power, and still possess a special Aura that I cannot see through."

"Is it because of the treasure-refining prohibitions, or because of the material?"

In a flash of thought, Chen Daoxuan manifested a wisp of Primordial Spirit Dharma Power, crossing a thousand li to seal away that "dying" dark sword pellet.

Thereafter, Chen Daoxuan retracted everything, five-colored radiance flowing around him, and slipped into Iron Sword County.

……

Above the Ten Thousand Zhang Iron Sword Mountain of the Iron Sword Sect.

At the very instant the elderly Nascent Soul Mid-Stage cultivator was slain by Chen Daoxuan.

The other Nascent Soul cultivator guarding the sect, Jian Qiuming, sensed that the sect's Merit Dharma Realm was undergoing violent upheaval.

He saw, at the center of the Merit Dharma Realm, the largest Merit Iron Sword that represented the Old Ancestor — it was now broken into several segments, its merit Qi dissipated.

Seeing this, his heart sank, filled with dread.

"How could this be? The Old Ancestor was at the peak of Nascent Soul Mid-Stage, and had the Divine Iron Sword Pill in hand — even facing a Nascent Soul Late Stage Great Cultivator, he would not be at a disadvantage."

"Even facing a Divine Transformation cultivator, he could hold out for a time."

"I didn't even sense any disturbance from the Old Ancestor's battle — how could he have fallen so silently?"

"Could it be that some great sect or great nation, whose cultivators have achieved near-immortal scripture mastery, sent an extreme-position Divine Transformation cultivator to launch a sneak attack?"

"The earlier merit warning wasn't because of the Green Thunder Sect, but because of this?"

"But why target my Iron Sword Sect?"

Thoughts racing, all manner of guesses surfaced in his mind.

And with these guesses in mind, he could no longer afford to dwell on the heaviness in his heart. He connected with the Merit Dharma Realm, took control of the Mountain-Protecting Grand Array, sealed the Mountain Gate, and stood on guard against the hidden hand that had caused the Old Ancestor's fall.

……

A few breaths of time later.

Chen Daoxuan, who had arrived silently outside the Iron Sword Sect, looked at the fully activated, heavily guarded Sect-Protecting Grand Array and the Mountain Gate sealed from within and without, and gave a slight shake of his head.

He had originally planned to directly destroy the other Nascent Soul cultivator of the Iron Sword Sect as well, but now it seemed he had underestimated the cultivators of the Tianling Great Realm.

That such a small nation, such a small sect's Nascent Soul cultivator, could possess such vigilance.

"It seems this Iron Sword Sect still has some fortune left."

A faint streak of five-colored radiance flowed, and he vanished.

……