bullyxtreme Chapter 144 The Situation Finally Settles and Ning
Chapter 144 The Situation Finally Settles and Ning
I turned around abruptly, only to see a glimpse of clothing disappear around the corner. Who was it? Could it be one of those resentful people? A chill ran down my spine, and I cautiously looked around, but found nothing amiss.
The atmosphere within the Immortal Sect remains somewhat tense these past few days. Although I have tried my best to mediate, and most disciples have expressed their willingness to put aside their prejudices and start afresh, once a rift appears, it is difficult to completely mend it. In the training grounds, disciples can be seen arguing over trivial matters from time to time, and some have even come to blows.
"Senior Brother Lin, you went too far! It was just a friendly spar, why take it so seriously?" A disciple complained, clutching his arm.
Senior Brother Lin snorted coldly: "If you're not as skilled as others, don't make excuses. I didn't use my full strength!"
Seeing this, I quickly stepped forward to advise, "Senior Brother Lin, this junior brother did not mean it, so please don't hold it against him."
Senior Brother Lin glanced at me, his tone softening slightly: "Junior Sister Xiao, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but some people just won't accept it and always feel that I only got promoted because of your connections."
I sighed, knowing that Senior Brother Lin was right. Since I stood up to expose Junior Sister Chu's conspiracy and helped everyone see the truth, my reputation in the immortal sect had indeed increased considerably. But precisely because of this, some disciples who were already jealous of Senior Brother Lin turned their anger towards him, believing that he had only been given important positions because of me.
"Senior Brother Lin, I know you've been wronged, but now is the time when the Immortal Sect needs unity. We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves anymore," I said earnestly.
After a moment of silence, Senior Brother Lin finally nodded: "You're right, I acted impulsively."
Similar things happen almost every day. I'm exhausted from trying to keep up, but with little success. Looking at the lingering barriers between my disciples, I feel utterly powerless.
In the evening, I went to Elder Mingyue's residence and told her about the situation. After listening, Elder Mingyue frowned and said, "Alas, these children are truly a worry."
"Elder, what should I do?" I asked, somewhat bewildered.
Elder Mingyue patted my hand kindly and comforted me, "Xiao Yao, you've done enough. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
I knew Elder Mingyue was trying to comfort me, but the worry in her eyes was undeniable. I also understood that these problems couldn't be solved overnight; they required time and patience.
“Elder, I think…” I was about to say something when I suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
"Elder Mingyue, something terrible has happened!" A disciple rushed in, his face pale. "The forbidden area... something has happened in the forbidden area!"
Something happened in the forbidden area? My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me. Elder Mingyue's expression also changed, and she hurriedly asked, "What happened? Tell me slowly!"
The disciple, panting heavily, stammered, "The...the guardian beast in the forbidden area...went...going berserk!"
A guardian beast has gone berserk? This is a serious matter! The forbidden area is the most important place in the immortal sect, where many powerful demons are sealed. The guardian beasts are spirit beasts responsible for guarding the forbidden area. If the guardian beast goes berserk, the consequences will be unimaginable!
Without a second thought, Elder Mingyue and I immediately headed towards the forbidden area. Along the way, I saw many disciples running towards the forbidden area, their faces filled with panic.
Upon reaching the entrance to the forbidden area, the sight before me made me gasp. The once peaceful and serene forbidden area was now shrouded in a thick demonic aura, with deafening roars echoing from time to time. Cracks had also appeared in the array at the entrance to the forbidden area, as if it would shatter at any moment.
"How could this happen?" Elder Mingyue muttered to herself with a solemn expression.
Looking at the deep wrinkles on Elder Mingyue's face and the fleeting weariness in her eyes, I felt a pang of sorrow. These past few days, she had worried herself sick over the stability of the Immortal Sect, and now that this had happened, she must be even more exhausted.
"Elder, don't worry, we will handle it." I held Elder Mingyue's hand and said firmly.
Elder Mingyue looked at me, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes, but then sighed: "Xiao Yao, I know you've tried your best, but this matter is probably not so easy to resolve. The guardian beast is extremely powerful; even I'm not confident I can subdue it."
Elder Mingyue's words weighed heavily on my heart; I knew she was telling the truth. The guardian beast's strength was extraordinary; even the strongest elder in the immortal sect might not be its match.
“Elder, I have an idea,” I suddenly said.
"What are your thoughts?" Elder Mingyue looked at me, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“We can hold a friendly competition within the sect,” I said slowly. “Through the competition, we can enhance understanding and trust among the disciples and help them reunite. At the same time, we can also set up generous rewards to encourage disciples to participate actively.”
Upon hearing this, Elder Mingyue's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! If we can get the disciples to put aside their prejudices and work together through the competition, we might really be able to resolve the crisis of the Immortal Sect."
I nodded and continued, "The competition can include various types of contests, such as martial arts sparring, formation battles, alchemy and weapon crafting, etc., so that each disciple can find their area of expertise and showcase their strength."
"As for rewards," I paused, "we can offer some precious pills, magic treasures, cultivation techniques, and so on to motivate our disciples."
Elder Mingyue nodded approvingly: "Good, let's do it your way! I believe this competition will definitely revitalize the Immortal Sect!"
Over the next few days, I began preparing for the competition. I summoned several elders and deacons from the immortal sect to discuss the rules and details of the competition.
However, during the competition preparations, some disciples raised objections to the competition rules... One disciple stood up and said firmly, "I think these rules are unfair!..."
I took a deep breath, suppressing my frustration. Preparing for this friendly match was much more difficult than I had imagined. "I think this rule is unfair! Why are the points for the weapon crafting competition lower than those for the swordsmanship competition? Do we weapon crafters put in less effort than swordsmen?" A weapon crafting disciple named Zhao Tie stood up, his face full of indignation.
I patiently explained, "Senior Brother Zhao Tie, the scoring system is not meant to belittle the efforts of weapon refiners. The purpose of this competition is to enhance unity within the Immortal Sect, not simply to test skills. Swordsmanship competitions place more emphasis on practical combat ability. In the current situation, improving overall combat strength is more important, so the scores are slightly higher."
"What about alchemy? The points for alchemy competitions are also lower than those for swordsmanship!" one alchemist questioned.
I rubbed my throbbing temples and continued to explain, "Also important is alchemy, but alchemy takes time, while swordsmanship competitions can test the disciples' strength more quickly, are more entertaining, and can better motivate everyone."
My explanation didn't seem to completely convince them; doubts arose one after another, and some even began to accuse me of favoring the sword cultivators. Elder Xuanfeng also had a sullen face and snorted in dissatisfaction, seemingly waiting for me to make a fool of myself. Elder Mingyue, on the other hand, cast an encouraging look at me, silently supporting me.
I looked around and raised my voice: "I know everyone has their own ideas, but there is only one purpose for this competition, which is to unite the Immortal Sect! I hope everyone can put aside their sectarian differences and work together for the future of the Immortal Sect! As for the competition rules, we can discuss them again to ensure fairness and impartiality."
Next, after several rounds of discussions with the elders, deacons, and representatives of the disciples from each peak, we finally formulated a set of competition rules that everyone agreed upon. The distribution of points was more balanced, and the competition events were more diversified, including traditional swordsmanship and spellcasting competitions, as well as competitions in alchemy, weapon crafting, and formations.
On the day of the competition, the entire Immortal Sect was filled with a tense yet exciting atmosphere. Disciples gathered in the training ground, discussing and speculating about which disciple would stand out and become the key figure in enhancing the unity of the Immortal Sect. Some favored Senior Brother Lin, the chief disciple of Sword Peak, while others favored Junior Sister Chu, the genius girl from Pill Peak. Of course, some also thought that I would personally participate in the competition.
Standing on the high platform, looking down at the expectant faces below, I silently prayed that this competition could truly resolve the internal conflicts within the Immortal Sect and bring everyone back together.
Deacon Wu walked to my side and whispered, "Senior Sister Xiao Yao, everything is ready. We can begin." I nodded, about to announce the start of the competition, when suddenly… my sleeve was gently tugged. I turned around and saw Wen Chen. His expression was solemn, and he whispered something in my ear…
Wen Chen whispered in my ear, "Be careful of Xuan Feng, he seems to have ulterior motives." My heart skipped a beat, but I didn't show it on my face, and called out loudly, "Friendly match, let's begin!"
For the next few days, I spent almost the entire time at the training grounds. During the weapon-refining competition, although Senior Brother Zhao Tie's spiritual weapon had slight flaws, I publicly praised his innovative spirit and pointed out areas for improvement, which earned him repeated nods, and his previous resentment vanished. At the Pill Peak competition, Junior Sister Chu nearly caused her furnace to explode while refining pills. I intervened in time, averting the crisis and also easing the tension between us. She blushed and whispered "thank you" to me.
I constantly encouraged my disciples to unleash their full potential, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. Gradually, everyone felt my sincerity, and the previous prejudices and conflicts dissipated. Even Elder Xuanfeng, who had always harbored resentment towards me, softened his expression considerably. Seeing my disciples united as one, fighting for the honor of the Immortal Sect, filled me with gratification.
On the night the friendly match ended, Elder Mingyue held my hand, her eyes slightly red: "Xiao Yao, thanks to you, the Immortal Sect has finally returned to its former harmony. You've worked hard." I smiled: "Elder Mingyue, it's what I should do. Seeing everyone united makes me happier than anyone else."
Senior Brother Lin also came over and patted my shoulder: "Junior Sister, you did very well." I noticed a complicated emotion in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something but didn't say it.
After the banquet, Wen Chen found me. His expression was grave: "Xuan Feng has secretly contacted demonic cultivators; his intentions are unclear." I was startled. It seemed Wen Chen's warning was not unfounded; Xuan Feng was indeed suspicious!
"It seems we need to prepare early," I said in a deep voice.
Having resolved the internal strife within the immortal sect, I will now face the test of inheritance. This is an essential step on the path to becoming an Immortal Venerable, and a moment I have long awaited. I took a deep breath, casting aside all distracting thoughts, and prepared to meet the challenge.
The next morning, I arrived at the Land of Inheritance alone. It was an ancient stone tower, its surface covered with mysterious runes, exuding an ancient and powerful aura. As soon as I stepped through the tower's gate, a powerful pressure washed over me... My hand slowly touched the cold stone wall.