Chapter 589: Sect

"Qiandao Sect must think Mo Hua is just a lone cultivator, with no status, no background, no one to back him—so they think they can bully him! This is outright oppression!"

Wen Renwan said angrily, "I'll back him!"

Shangguan Yi sighed, "He's not from the Wen family, nor from the Shangguan family—how can we back him?"

"He saved Yu'er—he owes us both a great debt!"

Wen Renwan insisted.

Shangguan Yi said helplessly, "Didn't you say this matter can't be made public, can't be told to outsiders? Then how will anyone know he owes us a debt?"

"If you go to Qiandao Sect out of nowhere to demand justice for him, won't others see it as deliberate provocation, as seeking enmity with Qiandao Sect?"

"Qiandao Sect is a top-tier sect…"

"Even our Shangguan family can't afford to offend them lightly."

Shangguan Yi pleaded earnestly.

Wen Renwan frowned and asked Shangguan Yi, "Then what do we do?"

Shangguan Yi felt a faint surge of relief, but kept his face troubled, feigning deep thought before saying:

"What if… we use some connections to get Mo Hua into one of the Hundred Sects of Qianzhou? That would at least repay the karmic debt to Yu'er."

"No!"

Wen Renwan immediately shook her head and questioned, "Is Yu'er's life worth only a spot in one of Qianzhou's Hundred Sects? You agree, but I won't!"

Shangguan Yi was stunned, then sighed, "We could get spots in the Sida Sect, but the spiritual root barrier… we can't cross it…"

"Then the Eight Great Gates!" Wen Renwan said. "No lower!"

"The Twelve Streams…"

Shangguan Yi didn't finish—he was cut off by Wen Renwan:

"No. The Twelve Streams' cultivation is too skewed. Even if you specialize in one path, you must still understand other disciplines, or your experience will be limited, your vision narrow, and you'll easily stumble in low-level realms."

"My father said this is the scholarly barrier of the Dao."

"Some things are simple, but if you know them, you know them; if you don't, you don't."

"These simple things seem like mere common sense—once you know them, they seem insignificant…"

"But if you don't know them, no matter how high your talent or how sharp your insight, you might ponder your whole life and still be stuck in a blind alley."

"Mo Hua is a lone cultivator—his foundation is already weak. He absolutely cannot join one of these 'Twelve Streams' sects, or he'll be blinded by a single leaf, surrounded by barriers, and his Dao path will be fraught with hardship."

"He must enter a sect with a long lineage and comprehensive disciplines!"

"If the Sida Sect is too hard to enter, fine—then at least the Eight Great Gates!"

Wen Renwan declared firmly.

Shangguan Yi was surprised—he hadn't expected his wife to have such insight, to think so far ahead for Mo Hua.

A person of deep emotion and sincerity, though impulsive in action, treats others with genuine heart—truly thinking for others…

Shangguan Yi sighed, "But the Eight Great Gates… are still hard to enter…"

Mid-low grade spiritual root—far too weak.

Not to mention his background as a lone cultivator, lacking transmission, with shallow qi, spiritual energy, and Dao foundation.

Wen Renwan insisted:

"If the Shangguan family can't do it, then the Wen family can. If the Wen family can't, then the Shangguan family plus the Wen family together—surely we can muster enough face…"

Shangguan Yi whispered, "Won't that be too conspicuous?"

Wen Renwan only said, "Just tell me—will you help or not?"

Shangguan Yi hesitated, speechless.

Help, and the karmic debt becomes too great.

Don't help, and he can't face his wife.

And Yu'er's matter… is truly a massive favor…

Shangguan Yi was torn, but seeing his wife's beautiful face and those deep, heartfelt eyes, he finally sighed and said:

"I'll try…"

Wen Renwan's heart leapt with joy, her face lighting up—but halfway through her smile, she remembered she was still angry at her husband, so she forced it down and said:

"Then I'll go find my father."

"That… isn't very good…"

"Why not? Even after marrying out, am I not still his daughter?"

Wen Renwan thought for a moment, then patted Shangguan Yi's shoulder. "I'll wait for your good news…"

With that, she departed like a startled swan.

Shangguan Yi sighed again.

This isn't a small matter…

To shove a cultivator with mid-low grade spiritual root, no status or background, and a shoddy Foundation Establishment into one of the upper-tier Eight Great Gates of Qianxue Province will cost dearly.

But since he'd promised his wife, he couldn't break his word.

And…

Mo Hua's faint, elusive figure floated again in his mind.

He was just a lowly cultivator…

Why did he feel like he couldn't see through him at all?

Shangguan Yi couldn't shake the unease, so he sought Gu Changhuai and asked:

"When Yu'er was 'taken'—no, rescued—from that eatery, were there any other suspicious signs?"

Gu Changhuai frowned. "What do you mean?"

Shangguan Yi thought for a moment, then spoke honestly:

"I suspect this child, Mo Hua, may not be as simple as he seems—there may be some special karmic connection tied to him…"

Gu Caiyi blinked in surprise, "Karmic connection?"

Shangguan Yi hesitated, then said:

"His rescue of Yu'er may not have been coincidence."

"All things in the world are governed by cause and effect—this might be a providential gift bestowed upon him by someone else…"

Gu Caiyi's gaze sharpened, "You mean…"

Shangguan Yi weighed his words: "I suspect… there exists some reclusive, master-level cultivator who excels in the Art of Heavenly Mechanism. He saved Yu'er—and then passed this providential opportunity on to this child named 'Mo Hua'…"

Gu Caiyi frowned, "Why?"

Shangguan Yi shook his head, "I haven't figured it out yet."

Gu Caiyi's gaze grew cold, and he nodded.

But he knew deep down, it was likely far more complicated than that.

He had always vaguely felt that the deaths of those dozen traffickers in the eatery were suspicious.

And this child, Mo Hua—he had seen him once. Though his face looked innocent, his eyes were profoundly deep.

Innocent, yet with a hint of… strangeness.

One cannot judge a person by appearance—not even a child…

Gu Caiyi harbored suspicion, and a touch of wariness.

Yet he had always disliked this cousin-in-law, so he kept these thoughts locked inside, never voicing them…

…

In the following days, Wenren Wan worked tirelessly to secure Mo Hua's admission slot, and Shangguan Yi assisted her.

They leveraged numerous aristocratic connections, spent vast quantities of Spirit Stones, and incurred heavy debts of gratitude.

These actions stirred discontent within both the Shangguan and Wenren clans.

To the Wenren clan, Wenren Wan was a daughter who had married out.

A married daughter is like water spilled.

Yet now she not only failed to contribute, but instead drained her own family's resources—this was simply unacceptable…

To the Shangguan clan, spending Shangguan family resources to aid an unknown junior cultivator offended many vested interests.

Many Shangguan clan disciples themselves had not secured admission slots to the Eight Great Sects.

Now, without cause, they were to grant one to an outsider.

Naturally, they would not accept this quietly.

Admission slots to the Eight Great Sects were tied to clan prestige and involved tangible interests.

If the admitted person acted wickedly or accomplished nothing, it would bring shame upon the Shangguan clan.

Of course, if he achieved something great, it could also bring benefits to the Shangguan clan that recommended him.

But this was Qianzhou—a land where talent abounded—and what could a mediocre outsider achieve among the Eight Great Sects?

They simply could not believe it.

Thus, many Shangguan clan elders lodged complaints against Shangguan Yi before their patriarch, Shangguan Ce.

Shangguan Ce summoned Shangguan Yi and rebuked him publicly:

"Wan'er's actions in this matter have gone too far…"

"Now that she has joined the Shangguan clan, she should place the Shangguan clan's interests first."

"You must act with wisdom, and not let her drag you into reckless, rule-breaking deeds…"

Shangguan Yi offered no rebuttal, only bowed his head in apology, taking full blame upon himself, and said:

"I will be more careful next time."

He could admit fault—but he would never change.

"Next time I will be careful" meant he would see this matter through to the end—and next time, he'd be more careful…

Shangguan Ce sighed.

His son possessed both intellect and strategy, and spoke with great finesse.

His actions were not wrong.

Since this matter had already begun, it must be carried through to completion.

To alter course under pressure would only make him appear weak and indecisive.

It was merely granting a minor cultivator a providential opportunity—whether to give or withhold was no great sin.

But he was too sentimental.

And ultimately, this matter still fell to him, as father, to clean up.

Shangguan Ce waved his hand, "Go."

Shangguan Yi bowed and took his leave.

But Shangguan Ce frowned.

For this matter, he would still have to apologize to Laozu.

Laozu possessed boundless cultivation, and remained hidden, withdrawn.

They were the true masters of the Shangguan clan.

They plotted in silence, calculating the Shangguan clan's Heavenly Mechanism, and deducing its great karmic threads.

The fate of the Shangguan clan—or indeed, all the "colossal" clans of Qianzhou—lay in the hands of these Laozu.

Under no circumstances could they provoke the Laozu's displeasure.

Shangguan Ce sighed and furrowed his brow.

But what exactly are the Laozu Sect plotting?

And what is the true fate of the Shangguan family?

Though his cultivation was not low, he could not perform divination or comprehend the Heavenly Mandate, so he knew nothing of these matters...

Shangguan Ce looked up at the sky, seeing only the vast, boundless Dao, mirroring his own bewildered expression.

After a moment, he sighed inwardly:

"The Heavenly Mandate... what exactly is it?"

"Why can't I divine it at all?"

"If I cannot comprehend the Heavenly Mandate or trace cause and effect, no matter how high my cultivation, I am merely another's pawn—of the Laozu Sect, of those ancient monsters, even of the Dao itself..."

Shangguan Ce's brow tightened further.

Shangguan Yi had been reprimanded, but the matter of Ru Sect had now been brought into the open.

Since half the work was done and sunk costs had been incurred, it would hardly be halted midway.

The other branches of the Shangguan family merely wanted Shangguan Yi to be scolded; they did not care what he actually accomplished.

Shangguan Yi thus seized the opportunity to openly leverage connections and take backdoors, working with Xu Wanyi to secure a Ru Sect slot for Mo Hua.

Several days later, Xu Wanyi found Mo Hua and placed three gilded invitation scrolls before him.

They bore the names of three sects:

Tai'e Gate, Chongxu Gate, and Taixu Gate.

Mo Hua froze. "Xu Wanyi, what is this...?"

"They are entrance invitation scrolls. Look them over—tell me which one you want, and I'll submit your application. All three are among the 'Eight Gates'; though they don't match the Sida Sect, they're still quite respectable..."

Xu Wanyi's tone was light, yet her eyes betrayed quiet pride.

Mo Hua's mouth hung open in shock.

"The Eight Gates... and I can choose...?"

He thought for a moment, lowering his voice: "Xu Wanyi, these... must be extremely valuable, right?"

"Not that special, really—nothing much."

Xu Wanyi spoke dismissively, clearly not wanting Mo Hua to feel burdened.

Mo Hua was deeply moved.

Since arriving in Qianzhou, Xu Wanyi had been the kindest person to him. Though it was because he saved Yu'er, her unwavering gratitude and willingness to repay kindness were exceedingly rare.

"Xu Wanyi, this..."

Mo Hua's expression was complex.

"Don't think about it," Xu Wanyi said. "You deserve this."

"But—"

Xu Wanyi immediately frowned. "I went to great lengths to get these—don't you dare refuse!"

Her gaze was sincere and earnest, her tone unyielding.

Mo Hua's heart warmed slightly as he stared at the scrolls, silently pondering.

He truly wanted to join a sect.

Though he could survive in Qianxuezhou by painting arrays for others and earning Spirit Stones, and perhaps find opportunities eventually...

But that would waste too much time, and there was no guarantee he'd ever encounter any chance.

Delaying would stall his cultivation.

His array skills would also stagnate.

He had no idea when he might rescue his master...

Mo Hua glanced at Xu Wanyi and saw a flicker of genuine concern in her eyes—she truly cared, and meant well for him...

Mo Hua's heart eased. He nodded, no longer refusing out of pride.

Even heroes have moments of difficulty—how much more so for a child like himself?

There's no need to pretend strength when it's unnecessary.

When others show kindness, accept it generously.

Someday, when the chance comes, repay that kindness!

"Thank you, Xu Wanyi!"

Mo Hua smiled, quietly storing away this sentiment.

Xu Wanyi exhaled in relief and beamed. "Quickly pick one—you like which?"

"Really, I can choose?"

"Mm."

Mo Hua examined the three scrolls, then frowned in confusion:

"Tai'e, Chongxu, Taixu... these names feel strangely similar..."

"They share a common origin," Xu Wanyi explained. "These three sects have ancestral ties—'of the same root and branch' is not an exaggeration..."

"But times have changed. Now they are entirely independent sects, though their names remain similar."

Xu Wanyi added: "All three sects had good relations with the Wen family in the past, and some ties to the Shangguan family as well—though not deep ones. I used the favor of both the Wen and Shangguan families to obtain these three scrolls, but you may choose only one."

"Understood." Mo Hua nodded.

He stared at the three sects, frowning.

These three sects were entirely beyond his expectations.

Tai'e, Chongxu, Taixu…

He had never paid much attention to them before, not even when submitting applications to test the waters—he always felt these three names didn't suit him at all…

"Entering a sect is a major matter; you must choose carefully…"

Wen Renwan's tone grew more serious.

She thought for a moment, then decided she should explain more clearly.

"These three sects all have deep ties with my Wen family; technically, I shouldn't say this, but…"

Wen Renwan leaned close to Mo Hua and whispered: "Though all are among the 'Eight Great Sects,' there are still rankings among them…"

"Of these three, the best is 'Tai'e Gate,' ranked among the top of the Eight Great Sects…"

"Next is 'Chongxu Gate,' merely in the middle tier…"

"'Taixu Gate' is even worse—it's at the bottom tier…"

"Their original lineages are all from the same source, merely branches, so the differences aren't great; it's just that in recent years, the disciples trained by the sect elders have varied greatly in quality…"

"Of course, there are also differences in sect status and cultivation resources…"

Wen Renwan explained in great detail to Mo Hua once more, then said:

"Think it over carefully…"

Mo Hua stared at the three sects for a long while, then after deep consideration, declared:

"Wan Yi, I'll choose 'Taixu Gate.'"

Wen Renwan was stunned. "Why would you choose Taixu Gate?"

Mo Hua had his own reasons.

Tai'e Gate and Chongxu Gate are upper-middle tier, meaning their entry thresholds are higher, the cost to join is greater, and the favor Wen Yi owes them would be larger.

If that's the case, choosing the bottom-tier 'Taixu Gate' would be better.

Besides, Mo Hua had no desire to compete with prodigies.

He only wanted to cultivate steadily and learn arrays in peace.

As one of the Eight Great Sects, Taixu Gate's lineage and cultivation resources were more than sufficient for him.

Of course, there was another reason.

Mo Hua's face turned serious. "Taixu Gate… sounds cooler."

Exhaust the Dao, roam the Great Void!

Taixu Gate!

Wen Renwan was stunned; her thoughts momentarily scrambled, and she couldn't help thinking:

This child Mo Hua… his thinking is truly… unusual…

"You… really made up your mind?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded firmly.

Wen Renwan said gently:

"Tai'e Gate and Chongxu Gate would be better; their sect strength is also greater…"

Mo Hua's small face was resolute: "Sect strength is temporary; how cool it sounds is a lifetime thing!"

Wen Renwan opened her mouth, then fell silent, finally sighing:

"Fine…"

"By the way," Wen Renwan added, "do you have any particular skills? I need to write them in the letter of recommendation, so I'll have an excuse—no, a reason—to recommend you…"

Mo Hua said: "I'm decent at arrays."

"Arrays?" Wen Renwan hesitated, not daring to say outright, only hinting: "Anything else…?"

She thought Mo Hua, coming from a small Xiancheng, might not fully understand.

Qianzhou was a holy land of cultivation.

Arrays were vast and profound.

In Qianzhou, never casually claim you're "skilled in arrays"—you'll easily be laughed at…

Mo Hua said: "I really am decent at arrays."

He took out the First-Rank Tian Shu Ring and showed it to Wen Renwan.

He could draw Second-Rank arrays too, but since he hadn't been officially ranked, he wasn't yet a Second-Rank Beginner Array Master—he shouldn't boast.

Better to be humble.

"You're already a First-Rank Array Master?"

Wen Renwan was surprised.

Even in Qianzhou, among the young scions of noble families of Mo Hua's age, those who had become First-Rank Array Masters were uncommon.

Even if Tong Xiancheng was a small Xiancheng with looser rankings and lower array skill overall,

its First-Rank status, though perhaps "worlds apart" from Qianzhou's First-Rank, was still no small feat.

Saying he was "skilled in arrays" was a stretch, but it just barely passed muster…

At least on the surface, having a "specialty" made things easier to explain.

Wen Renwan exhaled in relief and nodded.

The matter was settled.

And Mo Hua would go to Taixu Gate.

But he had not told Wen Renwan the most important reason he chose Taixu Gate.

Roam the Great Void…

When he saw the three characters "Taixu Gate," his spirit sense stirred slightly; after silently calculating, he sensed a faint, obscure thread of karmic circulation.

This thread of karmic cause and effect, though obscure, was clearer than in previous divinations.

Within the karmic cause and effect.

In the ruined temple on the desolate mountain, the evil thought that had been slain—Huang Shanjun—floated again in Mo Hua's mind.

Only a few fleeting images.

But it differed from the Huang Shanjun Mo Hua had seen.

Its aura was immensely strong, its body immensely vast, its eyes steeped in blood, boundless ferocity and malevolent intent coiling around it.

Simultaneously rising with it was another name, its sword qi piercing the heavens, its killing intent icy and fierce:

Grand Void Divine Thought Transforms into Sword True Scripture!

Thank you to patrons Taotao not Taotao, Wind Chocolate, Innate Incompetence, tonyzzz, IamYunmu, Wangshui Lunlian, Sang Chen for your tips~

(End of Chapter)