Nameless District Arc Chapter 25: The Plot Succeeds

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At noon, dark clouds shrouded the sky, casting a heavy gloom. While Zhou Xuanhong was still recuperating in his sickbed, Xuan Qizi, who had led the inner disciples and Golden Core Elders of the Forming Origin Sect to besiege the Specter Sect, returned.

His expression was as dark as the gathering storm, thunder rolling in the heavens above, casting a suffocating pressure on the disciples watching below. Where once there had been over fifty in their ranks, now only a handful returned, all bearing wounds of varying severity, their bodies wreathed in lingering black miasma.

Apart from Xuan Qizi, Xu Yuan and Luo Tuan were only lightly injured. Liu Su was nearly unharmed, while an elder at the seventh level of Golden Core was grievously wounded, and a sword cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment lay unconscious. The rest—gone, never to return.

The dark clouds pressed down upon the Forming Origin Sect, refusing to disperse, as if a shroud of sorrow was drawn tight about the hearts of all disciples and elders, stifling their breath. Even the Grand Elder was not exempt. This operation had not only involved the sect leader’s lineage, but many from Xuan Qizi’s own, including Wei Yuli, who had been seeking redemption. None were spared from the loss.

Within the Deputy Hall’s Healing Pavilion, two visitors arrived, their intent clear: to demand answers.

Xu Yuan’s breath was weak, her face still shadowed by a persistent black haze. She fixed her gaze on Zhou Xuanhong and asked, “Xuanhong, our sect has suffered a grievous blow. Three Golden Core Elders are seriously injured; one is hovering at death’s door. The inner disciples fared no better—only two survived. Our strength and standing are shattered—we will not see our former glory for centuries.”

Zhou Xuanhong knew well this was a test; had it been otherwise, he would have returned to his convalescence. He was prepared for such probing. In fact, he would rather face their indirect questions than be ignored.

His eyes widened, feigning shock, his qi and blood unsettled, spiritual power within him surging out of control. “Is it truly so? Is Master safe?”

Beside him, Gu Tianyun placed a reassuring hand on Zhou Xuanhong’s shoulder, displeased with Xu Yuan. “He’s only just started recovering. Don’t agitate him.”

Xu Yuan sighed. “The sect leader is at the peak of Golden Core, half a step into Nascent Soul. He could not be wounded. Yet after this battle, the sect is devastated. It will take centuries to recover. As the initiator of this mission, he bears inescapable responsibility. Without resolving this, he will not reach the Nascent Soul realm.”

Zhou Xuanhong’s reply was weak, almost defeated. “This is all my fault. The sect has suffered because of me. Even Master has been dealt such a blow. I never imagined that so soon after joining, I would bring such disaster…”

Xu Yuan watched his eyes intently, seeing shock, worry, and remorse—convinced he was hiding nothing, she ceased her probing.

“This is not your fault. In fact, you deserve some credit. Without your initial investigation, who can say what future harm the Specter Sect might have caused?”

Zhou Xuanhong started to protest, but Xu Yuan interrupted, “Enough. Focus on your recovery. The sect will handle the aftermath. Your master is still furious—don’t seek him out until your injuries have healed, lest you suffer for it. We’ll take our leave.”

Zhou Xuanhong nodded, dejected. “Very well. Thank you for the warning, Senior Sister. Take care.”

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After Xu Yuan and Luo Tuan left the Deputy Hall, Zhou Xuanhong remained listless, his eyes closed, lost in thought. Gu Tianyun, a healer by trade, could not see through his act and tried to reassure him. “Don’t blame yourself. That’s the nature of the cultivation world. Even without you, the Specter Sect would have harmed us sooner or later. Keep a clear mind—only then will you heal quickly.”

On Mandarin Duck Peak, within an exquisite pavilion, Xu Yuan and Luo Tuan sat cross-legged on meditation cushions, their palms pressed together as the black miasma around them gradually dissipated.

Xu Yuan sighed. “Who would have thought the Specter Sect possessed a superior grade-four formation disk? No wonder they’ve been able to maintain such strength despite the enemies they’ve provoked over the years. Clearly our intelligence was wrong; it wasn’t a peak third-grade disk. Had my grandfather been better prepared, those vermin would not have found an opening.”

Luo Tuan snorted with some disdain. “It was indeed a grade-four disk, though damaged. If not for that, even with my trump cards, I might not have escaped.”

He frowned. “And yet, I find this Zhou Xuanhong boy odd. Last I saw him, he was only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement. In just a few days, he’s reached Foundation Establishment?”

Xu Yuan explained, “My grandfather told me he has a spiritual artifact that conceals his cultivation. Unless one inspects closely with divine sense, and is at least Nascent Soul, it’s impossible to tell.”

Luo Tuan nodded. “That explains his time in the library seeking techniques. He must have been preparing for the breakthrough. Still, as a true disciple, he should lack nothing, not even Foundation Establishment Pills—why take on such a dangerous mission?”

Xu Yuan shook her head. “Everyone has their secrets. As long as he’s loyal to the sect, that’s all that matters. Now that he’s reached Foundation Establishment, once he recovers, he’ll need to light his soul lantern. Even if he harbored thoughts of betrayal, he wouldn’t dare act.”

Luo Tuan shrugged. “So be it. Just a first-level Foundation Establishment. Still, with his rapid progress, he must have benefited from that Profound Yin Jade Physique. His luck is uncanny—perhaps he’ll become a force to be reckoned with one day. In this world, talent is prized, but without cunning, one ends up nothing more than a vessel for another’s soul.”

If anyone else in the Forming Origin Sect could have heard this, perhaps only Liu Xiang atop the Peaceful Peak would have burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Good, good! Old fool—as sect leader, you’ve led the sect to disaster. Three elders and forty-two inner disciples dead because of your error. With your Dao heart so damaged, let’s see you break through to Nascent Soul now. I no longer need to fear you surpassing me. As for your alliance with the Corpse Shade Sect, let it rot. The future of the Forming Origin Sect will bear the name Liu!”

After returning, Xuan Qizi did not go back to the Sect Leader’s Peak but instead ascended Supreme Peak, which floated amidst the clouds and was usually hidden from view. The entire mountain was shrouded in mist.

This was the cultivation ground of the two Supreme Elders and the ancestral home of the Xu family, housing a portrait of Xu Yuqi. The figure in the painting was lifelike, especially the eyes—so vivid and piercing they seemed to gaze into one’s soul, sending chills down the spine.

Xuan Qizi knelt in the ancestral hall, the doors thrown wide. Outside, wild thunder raged among the clouds, deafening, yet not a drop of rain could penetrate the threshold, kept at bay by an invisible barrier.

On either side of the hall, countless soul lamps of every hue flickered, dazzling yet sinister, their cold light amplifying the oppressive aura of the ancestral portrait. Any ordinary mortal lingering here would have fled in terror.

Suppressing his cultivation, Xuan Qizi knelt for twenty days. His face was pale, his eyes shot with blood.

A will descended into the hall: “Enough. You’re not to blame for everything. Even we didn’t know the Specter Sect held a grade-four formation disk. Last time we attacked their lair, Old Ghost Xiaoyao simply deactivated the mountain’s defenses and fled—truly a sly one.”

Another will spoke: “No more self-reproach. The Xu family does not need your penance. Pressured by Old Ghost Xiaoyao, we could not act against the Specter Sect. What matters now is wiping out the remnants. That’s the only proper restitution for our fallen comrades.

Enough kneeling. The Spiritual Medicine Minor World is about to open. You’d best preside over it. Don’t forget your responsibilities!”

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“Yes!”

Far away, ten thousand miles from the Forming Origin Sect, outside the gates of the Corpse Shade Sect, a mass of black fog drifted in the night—members of the Specter Sect, including the three Foundation Establishment cultivators who had hunted Zhou Xuanhong before.

“The Specter Sect comes to seek refuge with the Corpse Shade Sect! We request an audience with Patriarch Corpse Mountain!”

Suddenly, a nearby hill split open, and a corpse nearly a thousand meters tall crawled out of the earth, its decayed flesh oozing with pus and radiating a nauseating stench.

Disgusting as it appeared, its aura was immense, pressing down so that the Specter Sect disciples plummeted from the sky, their black mist dispersing to reveal hooded figures.

At this, Old Ghost Heishan removed his cowl, and in his hand a skull transformed into a formation, instantly neutralizing the pressure.

Heishan cackled, “So this is the treasure gifted to you by the Solar Corpse Sect—a Nascent Soul stage Giant Spirit corpse. Impressive. If given the chance, I’d pit my Thousand Ghost Yin Fiend Array against it. But I haven’t come to fight today—let’s discuss cooperation.”

A shadow suddenly appeared atop the giant corpse, likewise cackling. “Nothing to talk about—aren’t you here to seek refuge? You’re cunning indeed, luring a group of Forming Origin Sect cultivators to their deaths without losing a man. I can’t match that. You may take refuge here, but you alone are not permitted to join.”

Another elder from the Specter Sect tried to protest, “But—”

Before he could finish, the giant corpse let out an earth-shaking roar that forced the words back down his throat.

“I am speaking with Old Ghost Black—what business is it of yours?”

The elder could only swallow his indignation; power dictated all, and under another’s roof, there was no room for pride.

Old Ghost Black let it go, unbothered—he dealt only with equals. “If I’m not allowed, so be it. I don’t care. But know this: I roam the Nameless Region. If I ever hear you harm any of my sect’s members, I will cast aside all restraint and slaughter every last one of your young disciples.”

Corpse Mountain, undisturbed by the threat, chuckled. “Of course not. With our corpse-refining arts and your soul-refining techniques, even if the Forming Origin Sect comes for us, they’ll leave empty-handed.”

After Old Ghost Black took his leave, Corpse Mountain guided his giant corpse back underground, the hill reforming overhead.

A voice whispered in Corpse Mountain’s ear, “Why not keep him here? With his grade-four formation disk, we could wipe out the Forming Origin Sect.”

Corpse Mountain shook his head. “Unwise. That old fox is treacherous beyond compare. He managed to slaughter a host of Forming Origin Sect disciples right under Xuan Qizi’s nose. He’s more cunning and vicious than either of us. Who knows what harm he might bring our sect in the future?”