Chapter 429: Chapter 271: Five Elements Spirit Ointment, Fake Core Inquiry

Only a handful of people, like Steward Shangguan, who had previously been in charge of leasing Spiritual Lands in the Immortal City, knew Mo Zhaoli’s true motivation.

But being an old fox, he merely watched and listened without revealing anything, ultimately speaking out in support of Mo Zhaoli’s aggressive stance.

On one hand, this was because he had previously been responsible for this area of business, and he needed to pin all the blame on the Tribulation Cultivators to avoid being held accountable.

On the other hand, it was a way to curry favor with Mo Zhaoli. At the same time, if the Sect were to investigate his own related culpability, Mo Zhaoli would surely return the favor and speak up in his defense.

Steward Shangguan’s mind raced. With the shrewdness of a veteran, he made his decision in an instant.

Of course, this was just the catalyst.

The Purple Extreme Sect, situated on the Wilderness Border and perennially organizing expeditions to tame the wilds, was inherently fierce. There was no shortage of hardliners among its upper echelons, some of whom even felt Mo Zhaoli was being too conservative.

They believed the Sect should seize this opportunity to form a Law Enforcement Team within its territories and initiate a severe crackdown!

Doing so could both sweep away the Tribulation Cultivators and uproot the families in league with them, restoring peace and order for all the Cultivators under the Sect’s protection.

They could also use it as a pretext to impose a period of authoritarian rule, seizing the chance to strengthen their grip over their territories and move closer to so-called absolute control!

They argued that this would be of immense benefit to the Sect’s future development.

And their voices were far from quiet.

As soon as this was proposed, many of the more moderate higher-ups felt their eyes twitch. They were compelled to voice their opposition, their core argument being...

...that since they were all part of the Song Territory, such actions would drive away many Cultivators and families, forcing them to seek opportunities in the territories of other Sects. This would, in effect, weaken their own Sect while strengthening their rivals.

After a fierce war of words, a middle-aged Male Cultivator with a long beard, seated on the high platform in the center of the hall, finally spoke. An aura as imposing and heavy as a mountain radiated from him. His voice, though not loud, echoed through the hall, which instantly fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Such was the commanding presence of a Core Formation Cultivator!

The arguing, the scoffing... it all died down and vanished completely.

And he rendered his verdict.

He rejected the overly aggressive proposals but gave orders for the complete elimination of the renegades.

"As the Sect Leader commands."

The gathered higher-ups cupped their hands and accepted the command without further argument, readily complying.

This was the key advantage of having a Core Formation Cultivator as the Sect Leader.

Initially, nearly all Major Sects and Daoist Schools had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator as their Sect Leader. While they held a high and powerful position, their personal strength was not enough to command absolute authority. They had to rely on the backing of a Core Formation Ancestor.

Many matters were difficult to push forward according to their own will; after all, they were merely a fox borrowing a tiger’s might.

Meanwhile, the Core Formation Ancestors would enjoy the Sect’s tribute and cultivate in seclusion, or they might roam the lands to enhance their strength, serving as the Sect’s underlying foundation.

However, this created a vulnerability. There was once a Sect where, as ill luck would have it, all of its Core Formation Masters were away on business at the same time. A rival Sect discovered this and launched a direct assault on their headquarters.

The Foundation Establishment Sect Leader lacked sufficient authority, and in the face of the crisis, he was unable to unify his people. The Sect fractured from within, leading to its complete annihilation.

From that day forward, the philosophy behind leading a Sect began to change.

Take the Purple Extreme Sect, for example. It publicly has four Core Formation Masters who take turns serving as Sect Leader for twenty-year terms, during which they must remain in the Sect to lead the other Cultivators.

Of course, they receive a greater share of resources as compensation for the time taken away from their own Cultivation.

The current term was held by Canglang Master, who was at the Middle Stage of Core Formation.

Once the Core Formation Master had spoken, his word was as good as law. The colossal machine that was the Purple Extreme Sect immediately sprang into action.

Led by Fake Core Cultivators, a Law Enforcement Team was assembled and immediately dispatched to Jade Belt Lake to investigate.

...

The second matter also concerned Mo Zhaoli.

Mo Zhaoli had used a special channel within the Sect to send a letter at the first opportunity, discreetly informing him of the Purple Extreme Sect’s decision.

She told Brother Lin not to worry.

She also mentioned that she had finally broken through to the Fifth Layer of Foundation Establishment a few months prior.

She marveled that Brother Lin’s progress was so fast that his Cultivation had already surpassed hers, but her words held no trace of jealousy or regret. On the contrary, her joy was palpable.

She was truly happy for Lin Changheng.

Lin Changheng, of course, knew Mo Zhaoli’s sincerity. He wrote back and pointed out that since Zhao Li was ten years younger than him, her Cultivation was, by that measure, still slightly ahead of his own.

But he added that they both still needed to work hard.

He also mentioned that they hadn’t seen each other in a long time and suggested they get together once the current matters were resolved.

...

The third matter.

Over the past month, Xu Maoling and Cheng Suling had mostly recovered from their injuries and restored their island.

Afterward, they came to visit Lin Changheng together.

Each presented him with a generous gift.

Lin Changheng accepted the gifts and hosted a banquet for them.

During the meal, before he had a chance to ask, Xu Maoling and Cheng Suling exchanged a glance, and Cheng Suling began to explain the whole story.

Soon, Lin Changheng was listening to a version of events that was not far from what he had already surmised.

It turned out the Luo Cultivator was a mutual friend of Cheng Suling and Xu Maoling. They had known him for over twenty years and considered their friendship quite deep.

The man would also occasionally introduce them to business opportunities that made use of their particular Skills.

After Lin Changheng had refused Cheng Suling’s invitation to explore an opportunity, the two of them thought of the Luo Cultivator. They felt he was trustworthy enough, and saw it as a chance to repay him for his past help.

Their first exploration together didn’t go entirely smoothly, but the outcome was good, and they all profited from it.

Furthermore, they had jointly placed a Restriction at the Water Eye Spirit Acupoint to share in its benefits.

But the second time—the time the Luo Cultivator had come rushing over in a streak of Escape Light—he invited them to explore yet another opportunity.

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