Chapter 162: A Headache

"Supreme Elder, do you think it is possible that the destruction of the Taiyuan Sect in the past had something to do with these Black Wind Soul Beasts?" Xu Chen asked hesitatingly.

Xuanchenzi nodded slightly and said, "There is likely a seventy or eighty percent chance. To verify my conjecture, after the second Sealing Array last time, we five True Monarchs had a careful discussion and speculation. It is basically certain that the Nether Rift beneath Black Wind Ridge must reach many places in the mortal world. This has already been confirmed. Currently, apart from the Song Kingdom, Black Wind and Soul Beasts have appeared in all the surrounding countries and the Eastern Wasteland. As for whether they exist in even further places, it is temporarily impossible to determine, but the range of the Nether Rift's invasion is extremely vast, already exceeding the control capabilities of our country's Immortal Sect, and perhaps even the entire Shenzhou Xianjie will be unable to resist."

Xu Chen was startled, and his face was full of astonishment.

He did not know how big the entire Shenzhou was, and he knew even less about how many mortal kingdoms and Immortal Sects there were in Shenzhou, but he had heard some things through the grapevine. The strongest Immortal Sects in Shenzhou were more than ten times more powerful than Yuqing Hall, and among them, there were not only True Spirit Realm Great Cultivators but even Spirit Transformation stage Shenling Realm Great Cultivators holding the fort.

Any True Spirit Realm Great Cultivator was considered a renowned figure within the territory of Shenzhou, but those in the Shenling Realm were truly rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, few and far between. Although the specific number could not be counted, it should not exceed the number of fingers on one hand.

These Great Cultivators were undoubtedly the true pillars of Shenzhou, shaking the Four Seas and Eight Desolations with their might.

But even so, the fear revealed in the Primordial Spirit projection of Wuwang Shenjun confirmed Xuanchenzi's conjecture.

The leakage of Black Wind and the Soul Beasts were truly not things that Shenling Realm Great Cultivators could resist.

In this way, this Soul Beast catastrophe would certainly bring an unprecedented slaughter to both the immortal and mortal worlds across the entire Shenzhou territory, and the Immortal Sects of all nations would be no exception, including the Song Kingdom.

"No wonder Seniors Baiyunzi and Yuyangzi have the same conjecture; it seems this disaster is indeed terrifying!" Xu Chen muttered to himself.

Xuanchenzi was slightly stunned and said, "Could it be that the two True Monarchs of Yuqing Hall also said the same thing?"

Xu Chen nodded and repeated word for word what the two True Monarchs had said when they summoned him before his departure.

After listening, Xuanchenzi stroked his beard and pondered for a long time before saying, "It seems that even True Monarch Chixia is afraid, but for now, we can only do our best. However, as the two True Monarchs said, you indeed deserve great credit for the Great Song being able to prepare in advance. That is why Baiyunzi opened the Scripture Pavilion of Yuqing Hall for you to view. Since you have returned, these things still need to be properly organized to benefit the sect and provide shade for future generations!"

Xu Chen hurriedly bowed respectfully and said, "Disciple obeys, but I still have some doubts. I wonder if it is appropriate to ask?"

Xuanchenzi seemed to be in a good mood today, smiling and stroking his beard as he said, "Although your cultivation realm is low, you are the only cultivator in the Great Song territory who has seen a True Immortal, so you can be considered a person of great fortune. That is why several True Monarchs, including Senior Chixia, look at you differently and have repeatedly rewarded and summoned you. In truth, even I am very envious. If I had your opportunities back then, perhaps I would have already reached Spirit Transformation, and there would be no need to be so servile and beg others everywhere. You have made a great contribution in this matter, so you are qualified to participate in some things. Ask whatever doubts you have; as long as I can answer, I will naturally not hide anything."

Xu Chen was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Disciple knows that although the Taiyuan Sect collapsed back then, large Immortal Sects like Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain have been passed down for a long time, at least two or three thousand years. If the Taiyuan Sect was destroyed by Black Wind and Soul Beasts, wouldn't Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain have records of it? This is truly puzzling."

Xuanchenzi's expression sank, and he lowered his brows and stroked his beard for a long time, seemingly weighing whether or not to explain it to Xu Chen.

Just as he was hesitating, Xu Chen hurriedly said, "Disciple just asked on a sudden impulse. If the Supreme Elder is also unclear, just pretend I never asked."

Xuanchenzi flicked his horsetail whisk lightly and said, "This matter is somewhat complicated. I have also privately asked several True Monarchs, but the answers I received were ambiguous. However, what is certain is that Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain must have records of Black Wind and Soul Beasts. They might even possess the true reason for the collapse of the Taiyuan Sect back then. Otherwise, at the Spirit Transformation Ceremony, they would not have made such a big fuss and set up two arrays in succession because of an unconfirmed piece of news you brought out."

Speaking of this, Xuanchenzi let out a long sigh and continued, "True Monarch Chixia and Taiwuzi are both Great Cultivators who have lived for six or seven hundred years. Their Dao hearts are as steady as an abyss or the sea; how could they be swayed by a few words from a small cultivator like you? It was they who proposed using Magic Treasures to suppress the two Black Wind passages as quickly as possible, and it was also they who brought out the two Magic Treasures and presided over the Sealing Array. This in itself is full of oddities, so Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain must have hidden some things. It is just that I only reached Spirit Transformation a few months ago, and in their eyes, I might not be qualified to understand or participate in it, so they never explained. Sigh, forget it. When the time comes, they won't be able to hide what should be known, and as for what shouldn't be known, I fear one would have to pay a great price to find out!"

Xu Chen's face twitched as he listened, thinking to himself that it was indeed as he expected.

He had stayed in Yuqing Hall for more than twenty days and had a relatively comprehensive and real feeling about the foundation of Yuqing Hall; it was far from being comparable to a piece-of-trash sect like the Taiyuan Sect, which only had a history of three hundred years.

In other words, Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain had already had some premonitions since the large-scale leakage of Black Wind began, which is why they spared no effort to use two sect-protecting treasures to seal Black Wind Ridge and Spirit Fox Valley.

Furthermore, when the sealing began to spiral out of control later, they immediately arranged for a large number of cultivators to come and stabilize the array and exterminate the Soul Beasts.

These two things were undoubtedly not the daily style of the two major Immortal Sects, Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain. They were handled too urgently and timely, and almost regardless of casualties and costs, which made it even more difficult to understand.

Of course, a group of True Monarchs were high and mighty, and ordinary cultivators could not easily come into contact with them, so no one could understand or criticize their words and actions. Except for a naive and reckless young cultivator like Xu Chen, everyone else took it for granted.

But in reality, in the eyes of Xuanchenzi and some other Danyuan Realm powerhouses, the actions of Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain were indeed a bit too much.

Then, according to Xuanchenzi's conjecture, there was only one possibility: that Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain must indeed know some inside information about Black Wind and Soul Beasts.

Xu Chen even believed that the several True Monarchs must also be aware of the Soul Beads. After all, having lived for several hundred years, it was impossible for them not to have heard of something that even a low-level disciple like Lin Qiuya of the Ziyang Sect knew.

As for why the disciples of Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain did not know, it might be because no Soul Beasts had ever appeared in the Great Song territory, and although they existed in the Black Water Void Abyss of the Eastern Wasteland tens of thousands of miles away, their numbers must be surprisingly small, not worth the effort of a major mobilization to catch them, so this matter was never made public.

Or perhaps, the matter of the Black Wind and Soul Beast rampage thousands of years ago was deliberately cleared and hidden, so that the disciples would not know.

This could be roughly verified when Xu Chen was browsing the Scripture Pavilion of Yuqing Hall; among tens of thousands of Jade Slips, there was not a single word or sentence about Black Wind and Soul Beasts, which was very unreasonable and incredible.

The more he thought, the more doubts Xu Chen had in his heart, and at the same time, he became more confused, feeling his head buzzing.

Could it be that everything he saw in Yuqing Hall was an illusion?

Or perhaps the actions of Yuqing Hall were not that noble?

He recalled the words Lan You said before he left, which seemed to have an underlying meaning.

Perhaps in this matter, he really only saw the surface but did not see through the essence.

The matter of the Soul Beast rampage and the awe-inspiring, fearless performance of Yuqing Hall might all have hidden secrets that outsiders could not know.

Or even more, apart from the three Supreme Elders, True Monarch Chixia, True Monarch Yuyang, and True Monarch Baiyun, did the entire Yuqing Hall, including the other seven Danyuan Realm Elders, not know the inside story at all and were just passively executing this task?

Or even more, were even Baiyunzi and Yuyangzi unaware, and only True Monarch Chixia knew some inside information?

Xu Chen recalled the two times he met True Monarch Chixia, and his simple words and strange attitude toward him seemed to be full of oddities.

Of course, old antiques who had lived for hundreds of years were all quite strange, including Xuanchenzi, but True Monarch Chixia was just more ancient and unfathomable.

"Sigh, stop thinking, my head hurts!"

Xu Chen had originally returned to the mountain in high spirits, and his perception of Yuqing Hall had been completely refreshed, even filled with respect, but after these few words from Xuanchenzi, he felt unsettled, and his whole being started to feel unwell.

Seeing Xu Chen's surprised and bewildered expression, Xuanchenzi said, "What you want to know, I actually want to know too, and what you don't know, I actually don't know either. So don't get hung up on this question that has no answer. Let Yuqing Hall and Longmen Mountain worry about it first. When things reach a certain point, the truth will naturally come to light. You have just returned, so I won't keep you any longer. You go first, but remember, do not spread what I just said, so as not to cause turmoil in the Immortal Sect."

"Yes, disciple takes his leave!" Xu Chen stood up, bowed respectfully, and left Xuanchenzi's cave dwelling.

(End of chapter)