Chapter Nine: After the Great Purge

Mu Wan'er tenderly stroked Gu Xiaopang's chubby little face, then turned with fiery eyes to stare at Elder Mu, who had hurried over in a rush. Her meaning was clear—she was blaming Elder Mu for being too slow to repel the enemy, almost endangering her beloved. Unbeknownst to her, Elder Mu himself was full of regret at that moment. He had devoted himself to alchemy for so long, rarely sparring with others, and although his cultivation was slightly higher than his opponent's, after a round of attacks he truly felt he had grown rusty.

He was still unclear why Gu Xiaopang had come here tonight, and just happened to stumble upon the shadowy figure's attempt on little Wan'er. But seeing Gu Xiaopang now, clothes torn and covered in dust, Elder Mu couldn't help but add a few more points in his favor—as if an old father-in-law was finding his future grandson-in-law increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"Wan'er, don't blame Elder Mu. There were just too many unexpected events tonight."

"By the way, Elder Mu, what on earth happened tonight? Who were those shadowy attackers?..."

At this moment, all seven peaks, once shrouded in darkness, were ablaze with light. Figures moved about, voices mingling in a constant stream, and Gu Xiaopang finally voiced the questions in his heart.

...

Before dawn, the main hall of the central peak was filled with hundreds of people. From peak masters and elders to stewards and instructors, all were present. The heads of the Alchemy Pavilion, Herb Pavilion, Artifact Pavilion, and Scripture Pavilion—rarely seen together—had all appeared.

After a brief wait, the sect master, Nangong Kang, arrived with a solemn expression, followed by three Grand Elders who seldom left their secluded cultivation.

Once seated, Nangong Kang spoke first, "Each peak and pavilion, report your battle situation and losses."

"Sect Master, our peak suffered two assassination attempts, targeting Zhao Xianyun of the inner sect and Leng Zikang of the outer sect. The assailants were 'ordinary' disciples who usually keep a low profile. Zhao Xianyun managed to counter-kill alone, while Leng Zikang was slightly outmatched and I had to intervene personally. Unfortunately, the attacker bit a poison capsule and died—that was my oversight. We lost three disciples on duty..."

"Sect Master, same for our peak—they targeted the leading inner and outer disciples..."

...

"Sect Master, no one from the Alchemy Pavilion was harmed, and we even captured one alive..."

Just after the other peaks and pavilions finished their reports, an exceedingly smug voice cut in—it could only be Elder Mu. While the other peaks had suffered losses and captured no one alive, he had not only escaped unscathed but had a captive curled unconscious behind him. Elder Mu, known for his pride and fiery temper, couldn’t help but flaunt it.

The other peak masters, elders, and officials all looked away, not wanting to see Elder Mu’s smug face. After all, everyone present knew who had actually captured the survivor and how it happened—especially Elder Gu, who had watched Gu Xiaopang soar away on a kite, and the sect master, who had witnessed the entire ordeal through the Seven-Faced Prism.

Of course, to avoid future reductions in alchemy allocations, no one was inclined to expose Elder Mu’s boasting at this moment.

After the reports, it was tallied: twenty-four attackers were slain or captured tonight. Among them were cultivators of the Golden Core, Foundation, and Qi Refining stages—disciples who had long lain dormant in the peaks, barely noticeable.

With the grand inter-sect competition approaching, hostile forces aimed to eliminate all promising disciples from rival sects ahead of time. Thus, all the sleeper agents hidden in the sects surfaced in one night.

"Sect Master, it was fortunate you warned us in advance. Otherwise, without any awareness or preparation, the losses would have been catastrophic."

"Indeed, indeed. Thinking back, it still sends shivers down the spine."

...

"You’re too courteous, brothers. Truthfully, we owe most of our gratitude to the foresight of the three Grand Elders. They instructed me to pay special attention to our outstanding disciples, which led me to activate the Seven-Faced Prism for several days, intending to observe their cultivation and character. Unexpectedly, I noticed several suspicious movements, which enabled us to capture them all in one fell swoop tonight..."

This wasn’t unique to the Ethereal Sect; other sects also suffered night raids. Well-prepared sects, like the Ethereal Sect, emerged unscathed, but some less prepared sects suffered truly devastating losses, leaving them with little chance in the upcoming grand competition.

"Once dismissed, comfort the disciples of each peak, and announce that this year’s inner and outer sect competitions will be held ahead of schedule—ten days from now."

"Yes."

The peak masters and elders responded in unison, then departed in an orderly manner.

As dawn broke, disciples across the peaks learned of the night raid and rejoiced at their fortunate belonging to this sect, soon bustling about with renewed pride.

The announcement of the early sect competitions stirred excitement and anxiety among the disciples, each reacting according to their temperament.