Chapter 55: The Secret of the Sect

Chapter 55: The Secret of the Sect

In a misty valley surrounded by celestial energy, a massive pool of water rested at its center.

This mystical pool was renowned as one of the most spiritually enriched locations in the world, known as the Golden Luo Pool.

The Tianluo Sect was built atop this pool.

The entire sect floated above the celestial waters, shrouded in dense spiritual energy that condensed into mist, giving the sect an ethereal and mysterious appearance.

At the deepest part of the Tianluo Sect, a rotund middle-aged man lounged lazily in a chair, surrounded by a variety of fruits.

As he picked up a grape to eat, a crisp voice suddenly shouted from behind him:

“Dad! Where’s Mom? I need to talk to her!”

The man nearly choked on the grape, coughing violently before managing to respond:

“Cough, cough— I say, daughter, can’t you act more ladylike? Must you always shout so loudly?”

Dressed in a flowing red dress, Luo Qiaoqiao glared at him angrily, hands on her hips. “Got a problem with that?”

The man immediately shrank back, his tone turning meek: “No, no problem at all.”

Sigh. I, Luo Daxian, the sect leader of the Tianluo Sect, am reduced to this pitiful state before my daughter, he thought.

Although, to be fair, I’m even more miserable when facing her mother.

Still sighing to himself, Luo Daxian was abruptly interrupted as Luo Qiaoqiao returned, having failed to find her mother. She grabbed his beard and tugged forcefully.

“Dad! Mom’s not here, so I need to ask you something.”

“Ow, ow, ow— Speak properly! Don’t pull my beard!”

Luo Daxian grimaced. “What do you want to ask?”

“Have you ever heard of a sect called Changli Palace?”

The playful expression on Luo Daxian’s face suddenly darkened. His tone grew serious as he asked, “Where did you hear that name?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Just tell me about it.”

Seeing her father’s reaction, Luo Qiaoqiao knew she had struck a nerve. She immediately plopped down beside him, nibbling on some fruit while waiting for his answer.

Luo Daxian hesitated. “Do I… have to talk about it?”

“Yes! If you don’t, I’ll tell Mom about how you said you were going to Wanxiang Pavilion for business last time but actually went drinking with your friends—”

“Alright, alright, I’ll talk.”

“This matter has nothing to do with our Tianluo Sect, though,” Luo Daxian sighed. “And I don’t want you getting involved.”

“To be precise, this is a private matter of the Misty Spirit Sect.”

A scandal so grave it would ruin the Misty Spirit Sect’s reputation forever.

Luo Qiaoqiao tilted her head curiously.

<+>

Misty Spirit Sect, Scripture Hall

The Scripture Hall housed the main sect’s collection of texts and scriptures, an immense library containing the Misty Spirit Sect’s legacy spanning countless generations.

In the vast, empty hall, only Shen Shuanglian roamed the aisles, flipping through scrolls aimlessly.

She had deliberately chosen a time when the main sect’s disciples were training as a group, ensuring she could search the Scripture Hall alone.

Her goal was to find information about Changli Palace.

While combing through the index, Shen Shuanglian had noticed something strange: despite being a seemingly ordinary sect, all records regarding Changli Palace were restricted to elder-level access.

As the eldest disciple with Unrestricted Realm cultivation and elder-level permissions, she could access the files. Yet, she had never heard of these records before.

Today, she had come secretly to investigate.

“Changli Palace…” Shen Shuanglian murmured, opening a book, her beautiful eyes furrowing slightly.

“Yin Changli… Heavenly Dao Fragment?”

These terms were entirely unfamiliar to her.

Continuing to browse through the records, Shen Shuanglian’s furrowed brows grew increasingly tense, her expression subtly changing.

Suddenly, a warm voice sounded behind her:

“Shen Shuanglian? What brings you to the Scripture Hall today?”

Startled, Shen Shuanglian quickly flipped the records in her hand to another page and turned around, respectfully clasping her hands in salute. “Uncle Changwen.”

Before her stood a refined, gentle-looking middle-aged scholar, the managing elder of the Scripture Hall. Known for his genial demeanor, Elder Changwen was well-respected and widely liked among the disciples.

“What’s brought our star disciple to the Scripture Hall today? Feeling studious?”

“Well…” Shen Shuanglian composed herself and replied politely, “Disciple has encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation. I thought browsing some texts might help me relax and perhaps gain some inspiration.”

“That’s a good approach. Cultivation should balance work and rest.”

Elder Changwen chuckled. “What kind of books are you interested in today?”

“No specific type. I’m just looking around,” she replied with composure, choosing not to mention anything about Changli Palace. Bowing slightly, she added, “I’ve gained quite a bit today, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Very well, feel free to visit anytime,” Elder Changwen said warmly as he watched Shen Shuanglian leave.

However, as her figure disappeared from sight, the elder’s gentle smile slowly faded, and his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

Moments later, he sent a silent transmission:

“...Shen Shuanglian may have discovered something.”

“How do you plan to handle her?” came the reply, resonating in the dim and shadowed main hall of the Misty Spirit Sect.

A figure cloaked in darkness, face obscured, sighed softly before speaking in a low voice:

“For now, there’s no rush. She cannot uncover the truth from back then.”

“But…” The figure hesitated briefly. “We should find a way to send her elsewhere.”

After a moment of thought, he retrieved a sect command token, inscribing a mission upon it with spiritual energy. It was the seal of the Sect Leader, used to issue directives to the disciples.

After completing this task, the shadowed figure called out softly:

“Qing Ying.”

In an instant, a black silhouette appeared, kneeling on one knee. A cold and frosty female voice responded:

“Sect Leader.”

“Follow Shen Shuanglian. If she continues investigating matters related to Changli Palace…”

The figure paused.

This was his prized disciple. To kill or not to kill?

If he killed her, it would be heartbreaking. A prodigy like Shen Shuanglian might not appear again in the Misty Spirit Sect for generations.

But if he didn’t…

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

“…eliminate everyone she comes into contact with.”

“Yes.”

Qing Ying responded indifferently and vanished in a flicker of shadow.

<+>

After leaving the Scripture Hall, Shen Shuanglian hesitated, glancing back at the hall with a tinge of regret.

—Such a pity she couldn’t finish reading everything. Still, she had pieced together enough to understand the gist of what had happened.

I should find him. Share what I’ve learned so far.

Convincing herself with this reasoning, Shen Shuanglian couldn’t help but let a faint smile curl on her lips.

But the next moment, her disciple token hanging at her waist lit up suddenly.

—A sect mission?

Frowning slightly, Shen Shuanglian picked up the token.

Why would a mission be issued now, of all times?

Taking out the token, she watched as spiritual energy etched words into the air. Her brows knitted as she read the inscription.

Sect Leader’s Command:

First Disciple Shen Shuanglian is to immediately proceed to Xianyun Prefecture.

Eradicate the demonic cultivators causing chaos there.

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