The tavern is where many people gather to chat while eating.

Sometimes, even if it's not for a meal, some people come here, order a dish and a pot of wine, and while eating and drinking,

they shoot the breeze or listen to others' conversations.

Therefore, the tavern is also the place where news spreads the fastest.

At this moment, a group of people in the tavern were discussing matters concerning the Ice Sect.

"Have you heard? The Ice Sect is about to rise. They've got a new disciple, the illegitimate son of Elder Meng and Wang Yifeng. Hey! The union of those two, the child born from it has an ice attribute so strong that he's already qualified to be the saint son of the Ice Sect, that's why he's been made saint son directly!"

"Tsk, I didn't see that coming. Wang Yifeng, back when he was rising to power, Meng Qian confessed her love to him, and he rejected her so bluntly. Now that he knows he's done for, he went and accepted Meng Qian?"

"What are you babbling about? That's 'true love', 'true love'!"

"Right, right, 'true love'."

When the term "true love" was mentioned, although the people in the tavern played along, soon, snickers and laughter filled the air.

Clearly, the term "true love" was dripping with sarcasm.

"Now, that saint son of the Ice Sect hasn't grown up yet, but I've heard he's quite talented. Maybe one day the Ice Sect really will rise again and return to its former glory."

"Impossible! The Ice Sect was no good from the start. If not for Guo Zhoushen's help back in the day, the Ice Sect could never have become one of the big four sects of Spirit Star. Ice Sect doesn't stand a chance."

"No, I heard that when the ice attribute in the body reaches a certain purity, and the strength reaches a certain level, it's possible to use some items from within the Ice Sect. These items can greatly enhance one's cultivation. Then, it won't have much to do with Guo Zhoushen anymore."

"But in my opinion, the Ice Sect is already on the decline, while the Cold Sect has been developing quite well over these years. I reckon that the Cold Sect could very well subsume the Ice Sect soon."

The conflict between the Cold Sect and the Ice Sect is something known to nearly everyone in the north.

With the decline of the Ice Sect and the lack of external marketing skills among its elders, nearly everyone feels that the Ice Sect will definitely lose,

and will eventually be absorbed by the Cold Sect.

In the tavern, a young man with the words "Cold Sect" inscribed on his jade pendant heard the rumors being discussed and immediately headed towards the Ice Sect.

This news was significant.

So he needed to inform the Cold Sect right away to see how they would handle this matter next.

...

Cold Sect.

If the signature plant of the Ice Sect is the snow cedar,

then for the Cold Sect, it's the Skyspan Plum.

The Skyspan Plum, tall and sturdy, still blooms with plum flowers in winter, a plant that mutated alongside the sect's development.

The Skyspan Plum was excavated by the ancestors of the Cold Sect from a forbidden territory and, after significant investment, was cultivated and planted in every corner of the Cold Sect.

Skyspan Plum.

The people of the Cold Sect may reach for the heavens!

Embracing the way of the heavens and earth, their cultivation aims straight for the skies.

Moreover, compared to the snow cedars, the Skyspan Plums are indeed much taller, giving an impression of grandeur, and the blooming pink and white plum flowers add a unique charm to the Cold Sect.

The Cold Sect council chamber.

The Head of the Cold Sect, Yuan Hua, was currently holding a meeting with the elders.

Yuan Hua, known for his proficiency in the martial art "Plum Blossom Cut," was also dubbed "Plum God" by the outside world.

"Sect Master Yuan, in my opinion, we should take advantage of the Ice Sect's weakness to completely take it over, and moreover, the young ladies of the Ice Sect possess unique qualities in temperament and skin due to the practice of the Ice Sect's secret techniques."

Below, an Elder began to speak.

Dealing with the Ice Sect had always been an unchanging theme among the Cold Sect.

One "Ice," one "Cold"—it seemed that from the very beginning, the two sects were destined to tread a path of confrontation.

The other Elders also brought up numerous suggestions.

However, as Yuan Hua listened to these Elders, his face didn't show the slightest hint of happiness. Instead, he looked at them with some helplessness and said to them,

"You suggest this and that every day, but when it's actually time for you to take action, none of you take the initiative to step forward and do anything."

In Yuan Hua's gaze toward these Elders, there was a sense that he was disappointed that they were not living up to his expectations.

He didn't even want to talk about these people.

Nothing but talk!

And nothing else!

As soon as Yuan Hua said this,

the Elders below immediately fell silent.

After all, the Ice Sect was one of the four major sects at the time.

Externally, and even in terms of current overall strength, they were indeed much stronger than the Ice Sect.

But what about their heritage?

The depth of the Ice Sect's heritage was definitely greater than theirs.

If it was outside, dealing with people from the Ice Sect was still manageable, and during each sect competition, they could suppress the Ice Sect. However, when it came to directly attacking the Ice Sect, they found it problematic.

Should the Ice Sect have any heritage left or use a trump card, the attacking Elders would get taken care of without a doubt.

Sometimes, it isn't just about how a sect is doing currently.

Other factors must be considered.

Like… trump cards.

Without clear knowledge of the Ice Sect's trump cards, none of the Elders dared to rashly launch an attack on the Ice Sect.

"Enough, enough!"

Looking at all the silent Cold Sect Elders, Yuan Hua felt another surge of anger in his heart. He waved his hand dismissively and said to them,

"All of you, step down!"

Looking at them was irritating!

They couldn't come up with a few valid suggestions, and all they thought about every day was how charming the girls of the Ice Sect were, and so they were eager to invade the Ice Sect as soon as possible.

Invade my ass!

The Elders of the Cold Sect, seeing Yuan Hua angered, realized they were ineffective and didn't linger any longer, but instead retreated one after another.

In fact, they were more than willing to retreat.

Coming here for meetings, making suggestions without substance, and collectively falling silent when it was time for action had been their behavior all along.

Even among the Elders, there was a tacit understanding.

That was to not speak up.

They couldn't get involved.

Once they started to compete internally, it could easily lead to problems.

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