As Qing Muling’s cultivation gradually improved, especially after stepping into the Elemental Immortal realm, he could freely adjust the coverage of the Light of Dao Enlightenment.
From a maximum range of a hundred feet in diameter to a compressed area that could only cover one person, the concentration of his Dao Rhyme would either dilute or concentrate accordingly.
Of course, the extreme enhanced version of the Light of Dao Enlightenment had so far only been enjoyed by his master, Mu Yinghua. His senior sisters hadn’t even heard of it, let alone experienced it.
It was foreseeable that when the truth came out in the future, his senior sisters would most likely accuse Qing Muling of favoritism, saying he didn’t treat everyone equally.
“…..This matter is still far off; there’s no need to worry about it now,” Luo Huan said with a slight frown, a faint smile on her snow-white face. “When we all achieve the Great Golden Immortal realm in the future, we won’t need to care about those vixens outside!”
Currently, they were already in the Golden Immortal realm. According to past conventions, they were already notable figures in the Great Void. As long as they could cultivate with their Junior Brother for a while longer, their cultivation would far surpass their peers outside. By then, what right would those vixens have to compete with them?
Qing Muling smiled and said, “Actually, you don’t need to be too tense. When my cultivation level increases in the future, the effect of the Light of Dao Enlightenment will also rise accordingly.”
The Harmony Creation Blue Lotus had yet to reach maturity. With each enhancement and transformation, its divine abilities and creation powers would increase significantly, more than enough to ensure his senior sisters’ rapid progress.
The only pity was that the Light of Dao Enlightenment was of little use to Qing Muling himself; only his senior sisters and junior sisters around him could benefit from it.
“That’s great!”
Xuebing Xuan and the other women immediately felt relieved. Counting carefully, there were only about a dozen senior and junior sisters who had a Dao Companion relationship with their Junior Brother, including Dragon Ritual Princess, Su Yuanzhen, Kong Yuhuan, and Qingchan Fairy.
So as long as Qing Muling held his ground and didn’t have a sufficient and reasonable reason, even the Supreme Elders couldn’t force more people on him.
Outside, in Xinyu Emperor’s Dao Court.
The residence of this Quasi Holy was quite simple, with only a few greenwood tables and meditation mats, incomparable to the luxurious and exquisite hall of the Supreme Sect Master.
Behind the table, Xinyu Emperor sat cross-legged, her face hidden in a radiant glow, making it hard to see clearly.
Below her, twelve beautiful women in feathered robes and jade-like faces sat on either side, all Great Golden Immortals of her lineage, with two being her direct disciples.
“Each of you owes ten billion heavenly merits. When you’ve earned enough and handed it over to Muling, your debt to him will be considered repaid!”
Xinyu Emperor said slowly, her eyes half-closed, “Only after you clear your debts can you think about your own little schemes. If word gets out now, people will only say you are ungrateful and repay kindness with enmity.”
The twelve beautiful women looked at each other, and after a long while, the one sitting at the head on the right side spoke hesitantly, “Master, we do have some selfish motives, but aren’t we also considering the greater good of the sect? A mere second-grade Taiyi Golden Immortal—oh no, now he’s at the peak of the ninth grade—but even so, he can’t bear the foundation of the sect, can he?”
Xinyu Emperor glanced at her indifferently, “If it’s about seniority and cultivation level, only I can take that position. If it’s about fortune, no one can compare to Qing Muling. No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t fall to any of you.”
As a Dao Lineage that had been passed down for millions of years, many internal systems and regulations were already quite perfect. The division of responsibilities between the Supreme Elders, the retired Sect Master, and the current Sect Master was clearly stipulated, and even peak Great Golden Immortals had to follow them.
Therefore, as long as Mu Yinghua hadn’t made any mistakes, even Xinyu Emperor couldn’t find a suitable reason to replace her, let alone the others.
Don’t forget that Mu Yinghua’s lineage also had several Great Golden Immortal-level Supreme Elders, with Fengge Emperor, a third-generation disciple of the founding ancestor, watching over them.
A Supreme Sect Master couldn’t be easily appointed or dismissed; there had to be sufficient reasons that could be explained both inside and outside the sect. For example, the previous Sect Master, Luoyun Shui, was forced to step down due to a major mistake.
But since Mu Yinghua took the position, her performance in all aspects had been commendable, and her contributions couldn’t be erased. Especially finding the Harmony Spirit Seed and bringing it back to the sect was a monumental achievement that could change the sect’s fate.
In such a situation, even Xinyu Emperor couldn’t shake her position, or it would surely cause internal strife within the sect.
“Master, we understand the stakes involved,”
Another beautiful woman sighed softly, “I don’t mean to disrespect the sect’s rules, but… this is ultimately an opportunity to prove the Dao and become a Quasi Holy. Back then, we were nearly shattered in the calamity, our Dao bodies on the verge of collapse, and had to sleep in the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm for millions of years. That feeling of despair, hanging by a thread, I really don’t want to experience it again!”
In the secular world, for the supreme imperial power, family members often fought each other, and in the bloody world of cultivation, such struggles were even more brutal, with the goal shifting from power to opportunities to prove the Dao.
With the Great Dao ahead, even the Heavenly King had to step aside, let alone any sisterly or bestie bonds.
Now, within the sect, Qing Muling was seen as the ultimate opportunity by many Supreme Elders. With his rapid growth, he was bound to become a Quasi Holy Emperor in the future, and whoever he favored would receive countless benefits, possibly even becoming a Quasi Holy themselves.
So, even though these Supreme Elders knew their thoughts were against the rules and unreasonable, they still felt a bit unwilling.
Immortals were still human, after all, and certain weaknesses in human nature were unavoidable.
Even the legendary primordial holy persons had their preferences and biases, let alone these Great Golden Immortals who weren’t even Quasi Holy?
“This topic… ends here!”
Xinyu Emperor’s tone turned cold, “Qing Muling is already very unhappy with some rumors within the sect. You should know what to do next!”
“Remember, don’t do anything foolish, or no one can save you! If your excessive actions cause Qing Muling to harbor ill feelings, don’t blame me for not considering our sect ties. I’ll be the first to clean house! That position is Mu Yinghua’s now, and it will be his in the future.”
“Yes, Master…”
These Supreme Elders knew that the Emperor was truly angry and responded with gloomy expressions.
After they left, Xinyu Emperor sat alone for a moment, sighing softly, “You ignorant juniors, daring to covet the Harmony Spirit Seed. Even I have to carefully curry favor with him now, and you still think of using those underhanded methods. Do you really not know what death means?”
Thinking of the one from the Origin Star Palace, Xinyu Emperor’s heart trembled. If things went south and it came to a showdown, Qing Muling’s attitude might be the key to the sect’s survival.
Even if everything remained peaceful, her future opportunity to prove the Dao would likely depend on Qing Muling’s favor.
With this thought, Xinyu Emperor’s disdain for those elders grew stronger. She might have to give them a stern warning in the future. Really… after sleeping for so many years, had their brains become dull?
…
Origin Star Palace.
In the cold and empty hall, Ice Toad Emperor sat on a cloud bed, her face pale, a black dog silently swallowing pills to heal its wounds, its aura much weaker than at its peak.
A moment later, Dongfang Zhihan walked in silently, carrying a tray with a bowl of freshly prepared medicinal liquid, glowing with a brilliant light and exuding a majestic pressure.
“Senior Sister, how are you feeling?”
The girl in the purple dress placed the tray in front of Ice Toad Emperor, asking with concern.
“Still hanging in there, won’t die anytime soon.”
Ice Toad Emperor gritted her teeth and drank the medicinal liquid in one gulp.
After a pause, she said bitterly, “That old hag from the Demon Path Ancestral Court is indeed tricky, bringing four helpers! But so what? Didn’t I still kill two of them? The remaining three are probably crippled. Let’s see what tricks they can pull next time!”
“But Senior Sister, you did suffer quite a bit,”
Dongfang Zhihan said softly, “We have limited supreme-grade pills with us. They can stabilize your injuries, but for a complete recovery, we’ll have to wait for Master to return. Sigh!”
A few days ago, Ice Toad Emperor led an attack on the Demon Path Ancestral Court’s main altar, demanding the return of all treasures plundered from the Origin Star Palace and a massive compensation.
The head of the Demon Path Ancestral Court, Cangyin Emperor, refused firmly. After a few words, both sides started fighting.
Initially, Ice Toad Emperor had the absolute upper hand, severely injuring the opponent in a few moves. The old woman, seeing she was no match, had to retreat into the Mountain Protection Array, relying on its power to hold on while urgently contacting the Calamity Fate Palace for help.
The cunning old woman from the Calamity Fate Palace initially stalled them, but seeing the situation worsen, she quickly gathered four Quasi Holy Emperors to support.
After a fierce battle, two Quasi Holy Emperors died, and two were injured. The accompanying Great Golden Immortals and Taiyi Golden Immortals were almost entirely wiped out, a loss of unprecedented scale!
Though they barely managed to repel Ice Toad Emperor in the end, the secret alliance led by the Calamity Fate Palace was essentially finished.
The high-level members of the Supreme Dao Lineages, including the Demon Path Ancestral Court, Nine Spirit Proto Gate, and Bright moon Sword Sect, were all in tears, cursing the Calamity Fate Palace’s treachery for dragging them into this mess.
However, the Origin Star Palace also suffered significant losses. Ice Toad Emperor was severely injured, and many accompanying junior brothers and sisters were wounded to varying degrees. Who knew how long it would take for them to recover.
Ice Toad Emperor was silent for a while, then said helplessly, “If we could find Junior Brother earlier, these injuries wouldn’t matter. But unfortunately…”
Dongfang Zhihan pursed her lips, couldn’t help but complain, “Junior Brother is really something. Since he’s already taken human form, why won’t he come back? I don’t believe he’s forgotten everything from the past!”