Chapter 135: A Change of Ownership

With the mission accomplished, the dozen or so grandmasters vanished from the sight of the crowd, reappearing instantly at the main peak’s council hall.

Immediately, the entire Law Enforcement Hall—from elders down to disciples—sprang into action, seizing the belongings left behind by the fallen. Once the nine thousand-plus corpses were cleared away, countless water-attribute cultivators spontaneously began cleansing the bloodstains and grime. A quarter of an hour later, the various corners of the Piaomiao Sect were restored to their former appearance, with not a trace of the bloody stench remaining.

Yet, this could not mask the heavy, relieved, and shocked emotions buried deep within the hearts of the tens of thousands of sect members. Not long after the crowds dispersed in pairs or groups, the sound of a great bell tolled continuously throughout all seven peaks of the Piaomiao Sect. All members gathered once again at the vast plaza beneath the main peak.

"The bell tolls today to announce the highest decision of the sect! By order of the Young Sect Master!"

"Effective today, the Scripture Pavilion, Pill Pavilion, Body Pavilion, Artifact Pavilion, Formation Pavilion, and Herb Pavilion are all fully opened."

"Effective today, all resources stored in the sect’s treasury will be released. Any person present, regardless of status or cultivation level, may report their needs and receive the resources required for their breakthrough..."

"Effective today, all peak masters, pavilion masters, and Nascent Soul elders will formally begin taking on personal disciples..."

As Sect Master Nangong Kang announced these reforms one by one, the tens of thousands of people below—elders, deacons, and disciples of both inner and outer sects—were filled with fervor and excitement.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"
"Thank you, Young Sect Master!"
"Thank you, esteemed elders!"

The unified shout shook the heavens, and there was not one person who did not cry out in heartfelt gratitude. As cultivators, they knew deeply that across the countless factions of the Fengshen Continent, who else would dare to make such a grand gesture, bestowing all benefits upon the sect members just to ensure their rapid advancement? Only the Piaomiao Sect could do this. In a world where the strong reign supreme, most factions concentrated their massive reserves on the elite, the powerful, and the exceptionally gifted, leaving the middle and lower ranks with next to nothing.

After the grandmasters dispersed, the crowd in the plaza buzzed with heated discussion, filled with gratitude and awe. They finally understood why the sect leaders had launched such a ruthless purge that morning. The supplies held by those nearly ten thousand hidden agents and spies accounted for a full fifth of the sect’s total inventory; had they not been cleared out first, distributing resources would have been nothing less than aiding the enemy and nurturing a tiger.

At the same time, the fifty thousand sect members were deeply moved by the fact that the Young Sect Master, Gu Changqing, possessed such grand vision and influence. Under these reforms, those who had already been won over by him were now even more deeply devoted.

Another question lingered in everyone’s minds: Why had the sect made such a radical decision? This was essentially emptying the sect’s resources for the next few centuries—what could have happened to drive them to this point? Elders whispered to one another, and deacons and disciples speculated amongst themselves. While they reached no conclusion, they all shared a common resolve: since the sect had provided such convenience, they would spare no effort to improve their cultivation and combat strength. After all, no one complained about having too much power, nor did anyone reject the idea of having a Nascent Soul powerhouse as a master.

***

As for Gu Xiaopang, upon receiving news of the sect’s great purge and reform via jade slip, he was genuinely moved by the decisiveness of the sect’s leadership. Although he had proposed the idea, he had not held much hope that it could be implemented so quickly. He felt a profound sense of pride in being a member of this sect and in serving as its Young Sect Master.

Even Puyang De was impressed by the Piaomiao Sect's resolve, wondering to himself if his own Absolute Kill Tower would ever show such courage or act with such boldness. The answer was clearly no. Even Bai Ling'er, who had always followed Gu Xiaopang and never doubted his importance to the Piaomiao Sect, had not expected his influence within the sect to be this vast.

"Let's go, Elder Pu. It is time to subjugate the Southern Domain branch of the Absolute Kill Tower."

Puyang De, walking beside Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er, was utterly stunned by his young master’s words. *Subjugate? The Southern Domain branch of the Absolute Kill Tower? What did he mean by "it is time"?* Though he felt confused and uneasy, he nodded solemnly. He was determined to carry out this task, yet he felt a lack of confidence. He knew that the Young Master’s protector, Senior Nangong, would not intervene in such a matter—if he did, there would be nothing left for him to do. But if it were just the three of them, was it not a bit of a farce to try and subjugate the Absolute Kill Tower, which was guarded by a Spirit Severing expert and possessed nearly three hundred Nascent Soul experts, a thousand Core Formation experts, and ten thousand lower-level subordinates?

He had guessed correctly; the Supreme Elder Nangong Hongbo, as the protector, would certainly not participate.

After reaching the outskirts of the Endless Forest and instructing Elder Pu to follow from a distance, Gu Xiaopang led Bai Ling'er inside, traveling swiftly from the far east of the Southern Domain toward the far west. Three days later, the three of them arrived at Fulong City within the territory of the Chiyan Royal Court.

That night, inside an ordinary mansion, Gu Xiaopang’s group of three entered, and a spirit-isolating array was activated, shrouding the entire courtyard.

"Greetings, Young Master." The two hundred and thirty assassin elders who had been waiting for a long time bowed in unison to Gu Xiaopang.

"You... you all... are also..." Puyang De was dumbfounded.

"Elder Pu, they are all our own people. There is no need for surprise," Gu Xiaopang said.

"Understood." When the two hundred assassins looked up and saw the Spirit Severing stage expert Puyang De beside the Young Master, they were all startled. But after Gu Xiaopang’s words, they were deeply impressed and felt a sense of relief. It turned out that not only were they, a group of Nascent Soul elders, under his command, but even the senior from the Central Domain, Puyang De, had followed in their footsteps.

Puyang De finally understood why the assassins had been so inefficient since he arrived in the Southern Domain, dragging out simple reconnaissance for two days. *So that was it.* It was no wonder his Young Master dared to claim he would subjugate the entire Southern Domain branch of the Absolute Kill Tower with just Bai Ling'er and himself; his foundation was far deeper than he had imagined.

"Tonight’s mission is to completely subjugate the Southern Domain branch of your Absolute Kill Tower." Gu Xiaopang commanded, "Elder Pu and all Nascent Soul Great Perfection experts, go suppress the branch leader—he is also at the early Spirit Severing stage. The rest of you, split into groups of three and capture the remaining Nascent Soul experts who escaped last time. You are all veterans; this should be no problem for you."

"My requirement is that the battle must be over in no more than a quarter of an hour."

"Dismissed!"

After receiving the order, those below the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage formed groups and dispersed with extreme proficiency, leaving Puyang De stunned. Gu Xiaopang then led Bai Ling'er, Elder Pu, and fifteen Nascent Soul Great Perfection experts toward the residence of the Southern Domain branch leader.

Dozens of miles away, not far from the City Lord’s Mansion, stood a magnificent estate. On the surface, it was merely the home of a wealthy family, but that was just a facade. In the deepest part of the estate, in a spacious room, a gaunt, half-bald old man sat cross-legged in meditation. This was Gongyang Tai, a peak early-stage Spirit Severing cultivator who had been stuck at this level for over a century.

"Hmph! Trespassing again? Is everyone from the Central Domain so arrogant?!" Gongyang Tai was startled from his meditation. He was displeased to see Puyang De barge in, dragging a teenage boy and girl by the hands. Though he sensed a dozen Nascent Soul Great Perfection auras outside, he recognized them as his own veteran subordinates and felt no suspicion.

"Brother Gongyang, don't be like that. Central Domain or not, aren't we all family?"

"Hmph, Puyang De, don't try to get familiar. I'm not that easy to deal with."

"Brother, how could I dare? Look, I just finished a mission and caught some live ones. Buy one, get one free, I just came to greet you before I head back."

"Fine, you've greeted me! Get out! I'm not seeing you off!"

"Damn it, I'm being polite to you! Can't you speak properly?!"

Puyang De tossed Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er into a corner of the room and launched an attack at Gongyang Tai. "Do you think I'm afraid of you? We've only met a few times, and you've been giving me the cold shoulder!"

"So what if I am? You gonna bite me? You come from the Central Domain, yet you have so little class!"

The two old men began to brawl like street thugs, abandoning all their assassin techniques. Puyang De had planned this, while Gongyang Tai, suspecting nothing, thought the other had simply lost his temper. He figured a little scuffle wouldn't kill anyone. As they fought, they smashed through the roof and soared into the sky.

At the exact moment Gongyang Tai let his guard down, the fifteen Nascent Soul Great Perfection subordinates outside swarmed him. Surrounded on all sides, and with Puyang De delivering a heavy blow from above, Gongyang Tai was caught off guard. Before he could fall, Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er attacked from the corner of the room. Poor Gongyang Tai was beaten into submission by the group.

About a quarter of an hour later, a bruised and swollen Gongyang Tai was forced to channel a wisp of his soul into an ancient scroll. Returning to the original courtyard, where dozens of other bruised Nascent Soul elders were held captive by the two hundred assassins, Gu Xiaopang repeated the process.

From that moment on, the Southern Domain branch of the Absolute Kill Tower had a new master.