Chapter 1327: The Loosened Cultivator's Tremendous Anomaly

Numerous pacifications, warnings, tax collections, and sorting out of the lower-realm situation.

The Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong envoys methodically swept away any factors that threatened the sect's rule.

And at this moment, among the many reports, a mountain-dwelling loose cultivator entered their gaze.

"An anomaly."

"This loose cultivator carries a great secret."

True Lord Cai Shan said to the clone of True Lord Duo Fu beside him: "A loose cultivator, even with a fortuitous encounter, should not be able to produce so many heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Even if he had so many, what he should be trading them for are cultivation pills, Gong Fa, secret arts—these things that are of vital importance."

"Not merely exchanging them for raw-material heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

"This exceeds all reason."

Tax collection and Long Long Xingshang dumping goods are the two legs by which Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong maintains its rule; the two are closely linked, with no separation between them.

What happened inside the Heavenly Craft Pavilion could not be hidden from the Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong's Offering Envoy.

"Then should we eliminate this factor?"

"Senior Brother Cai Shan, let me say this first—myself and the Heavenly Craft Pavilion will not take part, and he must be guaranteed to return to his lair after completing his trades. At the very least, a hundred years must pass before any action is taken; in urgent cases, fifty years at minimum."

True Lord Duo Fu said with a smile: "Unless the charge is something like betraying humanity or colluding with the demon race, the Heavenly Craft Pavilion's business reputation cannot be affected."

"Naturally I understand."

True Lord Cai Shan waved his hand: "Although it is an anomaly, there is no evidence. A fortuitous encounter with an ancient cultivator's cave abode, killing a severely wounded Refinement Void cultivator, or obtaining some opportunity and cultivating some secret art… all of these are possible."

Evidence.

Yes, evidence.

In the Cultivation World, where the strong prey on the weak and the powerful are honored, he needed evidence.

Because True Lord Cai Shan did not represent himself, but Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong.

He had to find evidence before he could slaughter a lower-realm Refinement Void cultivator.

Otherwise, once this loophole was opened, sect envoys casually killing lower-realm Refinement Void cultivators would cause many True Sects and Dao Sects to live in fear, possibly leading to large-scale rebellions and defections to Qitaxian Sect.

Once or twice would be nothing, but if it happened dozens or hundreds of times, such consequences would inevitably appear.

Therefore, this loophole could not be opened.

A sect's Refinement Void True Lord holding the position of Offering Envoy, while representing the sect's dignity and enjoying honored status, was also bound by certain rules and could not act wantonly—in fact, he was less free than usual.

Of course, in ordinary times, without the Offering Envoy position, without the exclusive dharma treasures and talisman summons that came with it, his strength would drop significantly.

Many people who had once respected him would not give him much face.

If he provoked too many people, being surrounded and killed would be commonplace.

"Sleepless Puppet—"

True Lord Cai Shan deliberated for a moment.

Boom!

He stamped his toe heavily against the earth, splitting a deep fissure in the ground, from which stepped a faceless white-armored puppet that dropped to one knee.

"Raise the surveillance level on Mud Swamp Demon City and True Lord Mud Swamp to Grade A."

"Yes, my lord, Offering Envoy of the Ten Realms True Sect."

The white-armored puppet's voice held no emotion: "My lord, please note that the Sleepless Puppets in Thunder Flame Realm are limited. They have been tightly monitoring the two great True Sects all this while. If your order is carried out, the surveillance level on the two great True Sects will be reduced to Grade B-Upper."

"Do you confirm?"

"If confirmed, please affix your Offering Envoy great seal."

The white-armored puppet produced a spirit contract, upon which was the emblem representing Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong—a bronze ring imbued with countless Dao resonances, surrounded by countless rules.

This was the symbolic emblem that had appeared after the previous generation's sect's Spiritual Treasure Realm perished and Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong was born.

"Confirmed."

True Lord Cai Shan did not hesitate, taking out a great seal and stamping it: "I have held the Offering Envoy position for three thousand two hundred and seventy-seven years. I have a premonition—the more a cultivator of this solitary kind, the greater the anomaly upon them, and the greater the destruction they may cause."

"Compared to that, even Blood Lake Corpse Mountain is merely the Blood Puppet Elder's faction; among themselves there is plenty of petty scheming, but they all know where the bottom line lies and will not cause overly serious destruction."

"You lot keep watch for now. Wait until I have finished dealing with the matters of Golden Sea Realm before I come to handle this place. By then, even if we have to scour the mountains and sweep the seas, we will dig Mud Swamp out and examine him."

He said with a cold laugh.

"If it truly is a fortuitous encounter, I will personally apologize to him and offer compensation. Even if I am wrong, it will not affect the sect's reputation."

Naturally, if True Lord Mud Swamp's fortuitous encounter was too astonishing and exceeded all reason, then he could only accept it with a smile—treasures could not be allowed to gather dust in the hands of a lowly loose cultivator.

"Haha, Senior Brother Cai Shan truly knows his limits. I won't worry then."

True Lord Duo Fu laughed.

He had cooperated with this senior brother for several thousand years; there were occasional minor frictions, but on the whole it had been pleasant.

"Duty demands it."

"Before the sect's Heavenly Inquiry inheritance arrives, I must sweep the surrounding realms clean. I cannot let the inheritors think we have been derelict in our duty…"

True Lord Cai Shan said solemnly.

"Sect inheritance?! The rumors are true?"

"A Thunder Yang Heavenly Sword Realm inheritance disciple is about to arrive? Otherwise the sect inheritance would not come out to receive them."

True Lord Duo Fu thought of something and was startled in his heart.

This kind of sect-inheritor sword cultivator was always mad. If the other party chose to challenge him, a life-and-death crisis might appear; it was best to avoid it in advance.

"Yes,"

"Our sect's inheritance does not need to, like

sword cultivators, advance through bloody battles. However, combat is equally indispensable. Our sect's inheritor must at least know how a sword cultivator of the same realm performs… As for whether to accept a challenge, the sect has no mandatory requirement on this; everything depends on Ji De Xiang Fa."

……

Mud Swamp Demon City.

The clone had already returned to the core of the formation, carrying a vast quantity of heaven-sent treasures and materials enough to drive an ordinary Refining Void True Reverent mad, and along the way it had not encountered any Refining Void-level power blocking it.

What's more, while Jiang Ding secretly watched over the clone, he faintly sensed that the Refining Void cultivators of Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain were drawing near, but halfway there they silently withdrew without truly acting, even though the target was only a seemingly frail and powerless Soul Transformation clone.

"Heavenly Craft Pavilion — their reputation is still passable."

Jiang Ding gave a slight nod.

The worst-case scenario had not occurred.

Otherwise, he might have had to further expose his strength, and while the Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong envoy was still present, slay the tracking True Sect Refining Void cultivator, needlessly adding many risks and drawing more attention from the Immortal Artifact Sect.

"The Immortal Artifact Sect controls its disciples well — they don't just kill and rob like bandits."

"This is a well-run, powerful faction, extremely dangerous, and must not be underestimated."

Jiang Ding inwardly raised his vigilance.

If their order were chaotic, though it would look dangerous, it would actually be much safer.

Order represents the concentration of power and sustainable development — far stronger than chaos.

Jiang Ding took the storage bag handed over by the clone, inspected it several dozen times, then slowly opened it; treasure-light illuminated the entire palace.

"Three hundred and one portions of sixth-tier heaven-sent treasures and materials."

"One-third of them are mine; the rest count as purchases on behalf of the Immortal Gate, earning a bit of profit to fill the shortfall. Converted, not only have I not gone bankrupt, I can even make a little money…"

Jiang Ding took stock and found nothing unusual.

"Probably enough for ten cultivation sessions — a thousand years — and then it'll be used up."

"Still a shortfall of seven or eight hundred years."

This was already the limit.

Any more, and the reputation of Heavenly Craft Pavilion might no longer hold. At least in the conjecture built on the model of the Badaxian Sect, this was the limit; any further, and that Offering Envoy's greed might become impossible to restrain, no longer caring about Taiyi Qingmu Xianzong rules.

"The remaining shortfall — Blood Lake Corpse Bone Mountain…"

Jiang Ding Zi murmured.