Chapter 294: Hypocrisy! The Undercurrents Surging in the Great Desolation World!

Duobao Daoren's consciousness slowly withdrew from the Yuanling Immortal Net, the excitement in his heart, stirred by the rewards announced by Lu Yun, long unable to subside.

He closed his eyes, and the glorious vision of himself achieving the Quasi-Saint realm, and even eventually stepping into the Saint realm, could not help but emerge in his mind; that supreme honor and power made his heart surge.

"I must rush to Shouyang City as quickly as possible; every moment of delay could be a waste of opportunity," Duobao thought to himself. Just as he was about to set off, he suddenly heard a clear and majestic voice transmission ring in his ears: "Duobao, come to the Heavenly Realm immediately; there are important matters to discuss."

This voice was one Duobao could not be more familiar with; it was the voice of Tongtian Jiaozhu's Good Corpse—Qinglian Daoist.

A sense of helplessness washed over Duobao. He knew his master's summons could not be ignored, especially when it concerned important matters regarding the Heavenly Dao Faction. Although his heart was full of anticipation for the upcoming tournament, he could only put it aside for the moment and turn to head toward the Heavenly Realm.

"Fortunately, with my strength, even a trip to the Heavenly Realm is enough time to return to Shouyang City for the tournament," Duobao comforted himself. He then unleashed his Supernatural Power, transforming into a streak of light that tore through the sky and sped toward the Heavenly Realm.

Along the way, Duobao was not lonely; he successively encountered other Jie Sect disciples who had also been summoned, such as Zhao Gongming, the Sanxiao Niangniang, and others.

"Senior Brother, were you summoned too?" Zhao Gongming asked as soon as they met, his eyes also holding curiosity about what was about to happen.

"Indeed, Master summoned me, saying there are important matters. I imagine it relates to the rewards announced by Lu Yun," Duobao replied, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

Speaking of this matter, expressions of excitement could not help but appear on the faces of Zhao Gongming and the Sanxiao.

Qiongxiao could not help but ask: "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, do you think we have a chance to get one of the special rewards?"

Yunxiao said proudly: "Needless to say, with the strength of our Jie Sect, if we cannot win a special reward, what other faction could possibly obtain one?"

Zhao Gongming, however, shook his head gently, his eyes holding both anticipation and reason: "Junior Sister, those special rewards are no small matter; obtaining them will be far from easy. However, as long as everyone works together, it is not impossible."

Bixiao also nodded, a firm light flickering in her eyes: "That's right, when have we disciples of the Jie Sect ever feared a challenge?!"

Qiongxiao smiled at Duobao: "Senior Brother, don't you worry. With us here, we will certainly lend you a hand to compete for that supreme honor together!"

Feeling the support of his junior brothers and sisters, a warm current surged in Duobao's heart. He smiled slightly and said: "With you all here, my confidence naturally doubles. However, let us first head to the Heavenly Realm and hear what instructions Master has."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded one after another, then accelerated their pace, and soon arrived at the Heavenly Realm.

Within the Heavenly Realm, clouds swirled and immortal palaces stood towering.

Duobao and the others arrived before Biyou Palace, the dojo of Tongtian Jiaozhu, only to see that Qinglian Daoist had been waiting for a long time.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Qinglian," Duobao and the others bowed respectfully.

And not long after they arrived, other Jie Sect disciples also arrived one after another.

Qinglian Daoist nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said in a deep voice: "Those who passed the first stage stay; the others should return to cultivate in seclusion!"

A group of disciples who had not passed the first stage breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Because they had heard that those from the Chan Sect who did not pass the tournament seemed to have been severely punished, and now that Qinglian Daoist was not reprimanding them, they were naturally very happy.

But after the joy, they felt ashamed of their performance and hurriedly bowed to accept the order and withdrew.

After they left, Qinglian Daoist's gaze fell upon Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and the others, and he slowly spoke: "What are your thoughts on the special rewards Lu Yun just announced?"

Hearing this, Duobao, Zhao Gongming, Jinling Shengmu, and the other Jie Sect disciples looked at each other, their expressions becoming somewhat subtle.

By now, how could they not realize that the Saints of the Heavenly Dao Faction did not like the special rewards Lu Yun had brought out at all! Thinking about it, it made sense; once one achieved the Saint realm with the "Hongmeng Purple Qi" provided by Lu Yun, they would inevitably be a person of the Humanity or Earthly Dao factions. So, if they, as disciples of the Heavenly Dao Faction, obtained that special reward, what would that make them?

Could it be that Qinglian Daoist was here to make them give up that heaven-defying opportunity? Thinking of this, everyone felt somewhat distressed. After all, that was the opportunity to Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint; who could easily give that up?

After thinking it over repeatedly, Duobao Daoren stepped forward and replied respectfully: "Reporting to Uncle-Master, the special rewards announced by Lu Yun are truly an unprecedented temptation. Once these rewards are out, the competition will definitely become more intense. And the result of the tournament concerns not only the improvement of individual cultivation but also the honor of our Jie Sect and the entire Heavenly Dao Faction."

Zhao Gongming took up the conversation, his eyes firm: "That is correct, Uncle-Master. This disciple believes that Lu Yun's move is intended to sow discord and divide our Heavenly Dao Faction. But we disciples of the Jie Sect have always been united as one, fearing no strong enemies, let alone challenges."

Jinling Shengmu added: "Moreover, since Lu Yun dares to use such rewards as bait, he must have a scheme. This disciple guesses that he might be trying to use this opportunity to attract more experts to defect to Humanity and the Earthly Dao, weakening the power of our Heavenly Dao Faction. However, if those rewards fall into our hands, his calculations will naturally come to nothing!"

Yunxiao was more direct: "That's right, we disciples of the Jie Sect are all capable; once we are on the tournament field, there is no reason to retreat. We are determined to win those special rewards!"

Listening to their words, Qinglian Daoist could not help but feel a bit helpless.

He naturally knew that trying to persuade these disciples to give up an opportunity to become a Saint was truly too difficult.

Never mind these disciples, even he, had his true self not already been a Saint, would have wanted to participate in the snatching himself!

However, he could not disobey the Dao Ancestor's orders!

Qinglian Daoist sighed softly, his gaze looking into the distance with depth, as if weighing many complex factors.

"What you say is true; the temptation of those special rewards is something even I find difficult to completely ignore."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming serious and firm: "However, we disciples of the Jie Sect have always prioritized the big picture and taken the protection of the Heavenly Dao as our duty. Lu Yun's move is precisely testing the resolve and unity of our Heavenly Dao Faction. If we have internal strife because of selfish desires, we fall right into his trap. Therefore, I require you to remain clear-headed and rational; do not let selfish desires blind your eyes."

Hearing this, Duobao Daoren felt a jolt in his heart and bowed: "I will keep Uncle-Master's teachings in mind. This disciple will certainly prioritize the big picture, not be swayed by selfish desires, and go all out to win glory for the Jie Sect and contribute strength to the Heavenly Dao Faction."

Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Jinling Shengmu, and others also expressed their positions one after another, vowing to follow the teachings of the sect and put the interests of the Jie Sect and the Heavenly Dao Faction first.

At least for now, this attitude was necessary; as for that Hongmeng Purple Qi, if they had a chance to obtain it later... they would act according to the situation!

Seeing this, Qinglian Daoist nodded slightly, his expression softening. "Good, with this determination from you all, why should our Jie Sect not flourish? However, you must not let your guard down. The upcoming second stage of the tournament will definitely be even more intense; you need to redouble your efforts in cultivation, improve your strength, and at the same time strengthen your coordination with each other to cope with the challenges to come." He then ordered: "Next, I will personally formulate a cultivation plan for you and teach you strategies to deal with special situations that may be encountered in the tournament. You must devote yourselves fully and not have the slightest slack."

Hearing this, Duobao and the others were all invigorated, their eyes flashing with anticipation and fighting spirit.

They naturally knew that with Lu Yun dangling the temptation of the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the participants would first do everything possible to improve their strength, and then use unscrupulous means to eliminate their competitors.

Among them, there would inevitably be conspiracies and schemes, such as some people colluding with experts who were not qualified to participate to assassinate other participants.

Thus, under the leadership of Qinglian Daoist, Duobao, Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Jinling Shengmu, and other elite disciples of the Jie Sect began more intense and orderly cultivation and preparations.

At the same time, within the Chan Sect, the Western Sect, and the Northern Underworld Sect, similar things were happening.

All the Saint incarnations, as required by Hongjun, explained the pros and cons to their disciples, telling them not to be tempted by Lu Yun, yet not allowing them to give up the tournament.

The situation on the Ren Sect side was a bit special, because Laozi's Good Corpse, Taishang Laojun, and his disciple Xuandu had both reincarnated and participated in the Honghuang Genius Competition, and both had passed the first stage, but their mindset was not too concerned with this Honghuang Genius Competition.

On the contrary, they were now more inclined to repay the karma of the Human Race for the Ren Sect.

How to repay it?

Naturally, it was to fulfill the responsibility mentioned by Laozi when he founded the sect: to preach to the Human Race and educate the Human Race.

However, it was not easy to accomplish this now.

Because, after Lu Yun preached to the Human Race many times, the Human Race was now prosperous, with various cultivation methods and Supernatural Powers emerging one after another, to the point where there was even a situation where they did not need the Ren Sect to preach.

Therefore, while everyone else was preparing for the Honghuang Genius Competition, the two master and disciple were more focused on gaining a deep understanding of the Human Race, trying to find a method suitable for preaching.

In the dead of night, Xuandu sat alone in a simple thatched cottage, the candlelight flickering, reflecting on his determined face.

He pondered for a long time and finally had a bold idea: "If I can win that Hongmeng Purple Qi and Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint, not only can I greatly enhance my own strength, but I can also better protect and guide the Human Race with the status of a Saint. Isn't this the best way to help Master repay the karma?"

The next morning, filled with excitement, Xuandu presented his thoughts to Li Er, the reincarnation of Taishang Laojun.

Upon hearing this, Li Er furrowed his brows and shook his head repeatedly, his eyes full of worry: "Xuandu, although your idea is good, have you ever considered that once you use the Hongmeng Purple Qi to achieve the status of a Saint, you will no longer belong to the Heavenly Dao Faction, but will instead be affiliated with Humanity or the Earthly Dao? This not only means you will create a rift with the entire Heavenly Dao Faction, but to gain a foothold in the Human Dao Faction, you are even more likely to bear the infamy of betraying your sect."

Hearing this, Xuandu's expression did not change; instead, it became even more resolute: "This disciple has received great kindness from Master and has no way to repay it in this life. Now, I am willing to bear the karma between the Ren Sect and the Human Race alone. If the sacrifice of this one disciple can bring long-term peace and prosperity to the Ren Sect and the Human Race, I will gladly accept it. As for the name of betraying the sect, I believe that true master-disciple affection will not be diminished by the division of factions."

After a slight pause, a smile could not help but appear on his face, and he said: "Furthermore, how is this matter not a great opportunity for me?"

After all, this was Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint, an opportunity that countless people in the Great Desolation could only hope for but never reach! It was just that, slightly differently, if Xuandu obtained this opportunity, he would simply have to bear a bit more.

Li Er looked at the disciple before him, complex emotions surging in his heart. There was gratification, there was being moved, and there was also reluctance to part.

He also knew Xuandu's character and determination; once a decision was made, it would not be easily changed.

Finally, Li Er sighed deeply and nodded slowly: "Very well, Xuandu. Since you have made up your mind, as your master, I will naturally support you with all my might. However, you must remember that no matter where you are, you are always a disciple of my Ren Sect and a successor of Taiqing."

Subsequently, Li Er began to teach him everything he knew, not only imparting more profound cultivation methods to Xuandu but also personally guiding him on how to stand out in the upcoming competition and seize the Hongmeng Purple Qi.

……

Inside Zixiao Palace.

Hongjun soon discovered the lip service being paid to him by the Heavenly Dao Faction! For a time, he was also secretly furious to the extreme.

These fellows had even found a very good excuse: rather than letting the Hongmeng Purple Qi prepared by Lu Yun fall into the hands of people from other forces and letting the other side become power for Lu Yun, it would be better to let their own Heavenly Dao Faction disciples seize it.

When the time came, the most they would do was tell their disciples not to use that Hongmeng Purple Qi to Proving the Dao and Becoming a Saint, and Lu Yun's scheme would naturally fall through!

Regarding this, Hongjun even had nothing to say.

However, he also knew that if he pushed too hard, these Saints of the Heavenly Dao Faction might produce an even more intense backlash.

Things having reached this point, he could only pretend to be unaware of everyone's little schemes and continue to discuss the construction of Tianyuan Points with Laozi and the others, while constantly urging his self-corpse, Qushan Daoren, to find Yangmei Daxian as soon as possible and locate Lu Yun's lair.

……

At the same time, besides the Heavenly Dao Faction, others participating in this Honghuang Genius Competition also took action.

To ensure that their own tribesmen participating in the competition could stand out, all parties tried every possible means to protect and cultivate them, while also striving to contact various experts to reach cooperation with everyone.

And the various great powers who were originally depressed that they had no chance to participate in seizing the Hongmeng Purple Qi naturally responded and participated actively one by one.

Even many reclusive experts emerged one after another.

Some promised to protect certain contestants, while others prepared to directly assassinate other contestants to reduce the competitive pressure for the contestants they supported.

For a time, undercurrents surged in the Great Desolation.

(End of this chapter)