Chapter 206: Struggle for Power and Profit

Gong Hua slammed the defensive ward of Zhaoxia Peak once, and Ding Huan was startled awake.

At this moment, the third nebula had already formed in his dantian.

Ding Huan swept his divine sense outward, and he saw Gong Hua and Liu Yinzhu.

Seeing that Gong Hua was about to make a move on Liu Yinzhu, Ding Huan had originally wanted to rush out and lend a hand. But then Elder Posun and Elder Jasha arrived and said they were going to convene an Elders' Assembly.

Ding Huan knew he would surely be summoned to the assembly.

Ding Huan simply stopped cultivating; he knew he had to first improve his array formation knowledge.

Ding Huan did not fear the sect assembly; what he worried about was that bastard Gong Hua sneaking over to Zhaoxia Peak at night and killing him.

Since he couldn't cultivate, he might as well refine artifacts.

Ding Huan had cultivated the Array Dao and Talisman Dao, and his talisman-making ability was not bad. Now that he had a magic artifact talisman brush, he could also produce third-tier talismans.

He chose artifact refining not because he wanted to become an artifact refiner, but because he wanted to refine good array flags for himself.

As long as he had good array flags, and if he pushed a little harder on his Array Dao, he could at least upgrade Zhaoxia Peak's ward to third-tier.

The current second-tier ward wasn't even set up by him; living inside it, wouldn't he be on edge?

The artifact refining room on Zhaoxia Peak was quite high-grade; at the very least, the earth fire inside was far stronger than Ding Huan's Foundation Establishment true fire.

Arriving at the artifact refining room, Ding Huan took out all his materials.

These were leftovers from his talisman refining. To become a third-tier array master, he first had to become a second-tier artifact refiner.

Ding Huan himself was already a third-tier talisman maker; artifact and talisman shared the same principles.

Added to the fact that Ding Huan had previously refined a pile of array flags, and now he had a basic artifact refining reference book.

This time, Ding Huan only used one hour to successfully refine a first-tier magic artifact array flag.

Just at this moment, someone came to summon him; the one who came was still Elder Jasha.

Ding Huan had long known he would definitely have to attend this Elders' Assembly; otherwise, that Gong Hua wouldn't let it rest.

"Fellow Daoist Ding, this time Gong Hua probably won't let it go easily. If it really doesn't work out, we can yield a step or two first.

Elder Gong Hua's cultivation is far stronger than mine and Elder Liu's; he's at the True Pill Perfection realm. He wants Zhaoxia Peak because he wants to break through to the Primordial Soul realm."

Jasha didn't know Ding Huan's temperament, so on the way he took the initiative to brief Ding Huan about Gong Hua, his tone carrying wariness.

Ding Huan understood Jasha's meaning—this was asking him to give up Zhaoxia Peak.

Zhaoxia Peak was simply too perfect a match for his cultivation; how could he possibly give up such a good place?

Besides, giving Zhaoxia Peak to Gong Hua to break through to the Primordial Soul realm—wouldn't that be helping Gong Hua sharpen his blade to kill him?

He was sure Sect Master Gu Mo wouldn't ignore this matter; if Gu Mo didn't care, then he'd get as far away as possible.

"Elder Jasha, rest assured, I know what to do." Ding Huan knew Jasha was cautious by habit and couldn't be bothered to say more.

Jasha was old and shrewd; at a glance he saw that Ding Huan hadn't taken his words to heart, and could only sigh and continue:

"Although the Sect Master's injuries have been healed, the previous wounds were too severe, and he still can't make a move now, so the Sect Master needs to recuperate for a period. When the time comes, we'll ask the Sect Master to help you get Zhaoxia Peak back."

Ding Huan frowned—Sect Master Gu can't make a move?

How could that be?

Sect Master Gu was saved by him; he knew Gu Mo's situation very well.

Don't be fooled—when he saved Gu Mo, Gu Mo was nothing but skin and bones. Once the toxin was removed, Gu Mo could recover over seventy percent of his strength in at most half a month.

In other words, Gu Mo could absolutely come to the Elders' Assembly right now.

If that's the case, why did Jasha say Gu Mo couldn't make a move?

"How many Primordial Soul realm elders does Purple Cloud Valley have?" Ding Huan asked again.

If Gu Mo couldn't make a move, and Purple Cloud Valley had other Primordial Soul powerhouses backing Gong Hua, then he didn't even want to attend the assembly.

Jasha gave a bitter smile:

"If our Purple Cloud Valley had Primordial Soul powerhouses, the Jiuyinmen wouldn't dare be so arrogant.

Our Purple Cloud Valley did have three Primordial Soul powerhouses—one was the Sect Master, and another was Dharma Protector Elder Pu Jun. The Sect Master is critical, and Elder Pu Jun has fallen; that's why the Jiuyinmen dares to bully us."

"And the third?" Ding Huan asked, puzzled.

Jasha said: "Elder He has been in closed-door cultivation trying to break through to a higher level; he's also the backing for Gong Hua and the others. But he never bothers with sect affairs."

Ding Huan understood now—so Gong Hua and the others also had a Primordial Soul powerhouse behind them.

This Primordial Soul powerhouse was useless; while his own sect was being bullied by another sect, this guy acted as if he were dead, never showing up.

"If Purple Cloud Valley were destroyed, would Elder He still not come out?" Ding Huan was somewhat surprised.

Jasha shook his head without speaking.

Ding Huan was full of contempt inside. If he were the Sect Master, a guy like that who hogged the sect's resources but didn't care whether the sect lived or died—get as far away from me as possible.

This also, from another angle, let Ding Huan rest easy about opposing Gong Hua, because that Elder He, even though he was Gong Hua's backing, wouldn't come out.

"Then does the Jiuyinmen have many Primordial Soul powerhouses?"

Jasha said disdainfully:

"They only have one Primordial Soul cultivator; if not for Zi Yuan is critical, they wouldn't even have a single Primordial Soul."

"Oh." Ding Huan nodded. The Jiuyinmen only had one Primordial Soul cultivator—why would they dare be so arrogant?

"By the way, Elder Jasha, is the Tianqi Sect far from Purple Cloud Valley?" Ding Huan asked another question.

Jasha looked at Ding Huan somewhat speechlessly, thinking to himself that this Fellow Daoist Ding's thoughts really did jump around.

They had just been discussing Primordial Soul realm cultivators, and in the blink of an eye he was asking about the Tianqi Sect—the shift was unusually fast.

"Not very far. The sect's discussion hall is here; let's go in together. Remember, you must be very careful with your words." Jasha pointed at a great door before them and walked in first as he spoke.

Ding Huan followed Jasha into the discussion hall.

Purple Cloud Valley's sect great hall looked extremely imposing. The elders inside, including Jasha, numbered twenty-one in total.

Ding Huan didn't sweep with his divine sense, but he cultivated the Grand Cosmos Art, and the moment he entered he sensed that everyone here was a True Pill realm cultivator.

Liu Yinzhu's seat was almost at the very back; Jia Sha sat together with Liu Yinzhu, clearly indicating that his status was also among the lowest of the elders.

Ding Huan muttered to himself that these two fellows had really mixed in poorly.

If it weren't for the fact that Sect Master Gu Mo had been healed by him, he would have advised these two to leave the sect while they still could.

What surprised Ding Huan was that the Sect Master's seat was not occupied by Gu Mo, but by a True Core cultivator wearing a cultivator's long robe.

Judging by this fellow's appearance, he seemed even stronger than Gong Hua.

This broken sect simply had no unity at all. The Sect Master wasn't even dead yet, and someone was already sitting in the Sect Master's seat.

What difference was there between this fellow's actions and when Gong Hua had previously sent people to guard outside his Zhaoxia Peak?

They were all just waiting for Gu Mo to kick the bucket, then dividing up the benefits among themselves.

"Ding Huan, why do you occupy Zhaoxia Peak?" A sharp shout rang out.

A powerful aura tried to press down on Ding Huan until he couldn't speak.

The one speaking was the fellow sitting in the Sect Master's seat.

Ding Huan thought to himself, heh, a mere True Core cultivator wants to use aura pressure to keep him from speaking?

He estimated that in this fellow's mind, he should be unable to withstand the pressure, then kneel down, right?

"Ding Huan greets the Sect Master."

Ding Huan stepped forward a few paces, cupped his fists in a very polite greeting, as if the fellow who had just pressured him with aura wasn't this person sitting in the Sect Master's seat at all.

"I am the sect's Enforcement Elder Dong Lishang, not the Sect Master. Watch your words."

Although Dong Lishang rebuked Ding Huan, this time he actually didn't use aura pressure.

After all, Ding Huan's words had hit right at the heart of him; this time the Sect Master was about to fall, and this Sect Master's seat belonged to none other than himself.

This was the result of everyone's exchange of interests, just like how Zhaoxia Peak belonged to Gong Hua, and no one else could snatch it away.

Ding Huan calculated that he would be safe this time, and had already figured it out in his heart.

He was certain that fellow Gu Mo had also come; why didn't this fellow just go and sworn-brother with Old Six?

Gu Mo not showing up now was just waiting to see how things developed, probably wanting to figure out exactly how many double-dealers there were.

Ding Huan utterly despised Gu Mo's approach.

Tell me, you're a Sect Master, still at the Primordial Soul realm, is there any need to act like this?

Just come out directly, then lay down the terms, point out the mistakes, and beat who needs beating, suppress who needs suppressing, kill who needs killing.

"So you're not the Sect Master? According to the Zixiagu Sect's Precepts General Outline, Sect Master's Authority, Article Seventeen, Subsection Thirty-One."

"Disciples or elders of the sect who are not the Sect Master, occupying the Sect Master's seat, shall be confined to Canyuan Cliff for one year in light cases, or three years in severe cases, or have their cultivation abolished."

"Elder Dong, you have violated the sect's precepts."

Dong Lishang was furious, yet couldn't say Ding Huan was wrong.

Although everyone knew about this matter, the Sect Master was about to kick the bucket, and him sitting here was just a warm-up for the new Sect Master.

Once he became Sect Master, who would dare say he violated the Sect Master's authority?

This unspoken rule being openly spoken out by Ding Huan—how could Dong Lishang merely be angry?

"Ding Huan, Elder Dong's affairs are not for you to blabber about; now it's about your issue. I ask you, He Deheneng do you have to occupy Zhaoxia Peak?"

Gong Hua's words temporarily drew everyone's attention back to Ding Huan.

This was because Gong Hua didn't know Ding Huan wasn't yet a disciple of Zixiagu Sect; if he had known, he would have long been blustering even more fiercely.

Indeed, Liu Yinzhu was responsible for recruiting disciples this time; if she insisted on saying Ding Huan was a disciple she had recruited, no one could refute it.

Ding Huan said lightly: "I went to stay at Zhaoxia Peak holding the Sect Master's hand-token; is there a problem with that?"

Gong Hua sneered:

"The Sect Master can't even speak now, and you hold the Sect Master's hand-token? Not only that, you also colluded with Liu Yinzhu to kill my disciple Gao Ou."

After speaking, Gong Hua cupped his fists to Dong Lishang:

"Enforcement Elder, Liu Yinzhu colluded with Ding Huan to occupy Zhaoxia Peak, and killed a sect disciple within the sect; what punishment should this carry?"

"Elder Liu is to be imprisoned at Canyuan Cliff for ten years; Ding Huan, as a disciple showing no respect to his elders, is to be killed without mercy. Men—..." Dong Lishang said coldly.

Ding Huan said with a heh:

"Sect Master Dong, you mean whatever you say goes, and Elder Liu and I don't even have the right to defend ourselves?"

"My Zixiagu Sect is fair and just; bringing you here is to let you die convinced." Dong Lishang snorted.

Ding Huan gave a thumbs-up:

"Sect Master Dong speaks well. Just now Sect Master Dong said showing no respect to elders is to be killed without mercy, and I agree, because Zixiagu Sect indeed has such a rule.

Now what I want to say is, the reason I killed Gao Ou is precisely because Gao Ou not only showed no respect to his elders, but also offended his superiors and showed contempt for the Sect Master."

"No matter how flowery your words are, they're useless. If you can't produce evidence, everything is just your slander. And you, occupying Zhaoxia Peak, is already ironclad proof." Gong Hua's killing intent grew ever thicker.

If it weren't for Elder Poshen stirring up trouble from within, where would the need for any assembly be? Just directly beat him to death and be done with it.