sinovels Chapter 457 The Sealed Land, Ninth Sect! Arrived in 3 days!
Chapter 457 The Sealed Land, Ninth Sect! Arrived in 3 days!
As Chen Fan listened, his initial surprise gradually transformed into a rather peculiar feeling.
The Ji Daozi before him was no longer the sycophant who spent his days in the golden bowl figuring out how to slack off and haggle with him, but the true "Ji Daozi Sect Master" who could manage a sect in an orderly manner and rise to prominence amidst the chaos of the eight sects.
The Yin Corpse Sect, which he initially created casually to dispose of corpses and collect souls, has now become a force to be reckoned with in the Eight Kingdoms region under the control of Ji Daozi, and is showing signs of becoming the "Ninth Sect".
It felt like a seed that was casually scattered, with no expectation that it would grow into anything special. It was watered occasionally and left to its own devices.
Unexpectedly, when I looked back one day, I found that it had quietly broken through the soil, braved the wind and rain, and had grown into a large, leafy tree on its own.
A subtle feeling of "a child raised freely suddenly growing up on their own" arose in Chen Fan's heart.
There was surprise, scrutiny, and a faint sense of satisfaction, like that of "own property," which even he himself was unaware of.
"It seems you've done a decent job as sect leader," Chen Fan said slowly, his tone revealing little emotion. "As long as you haven't forgotten the important matters our family entrusted to you."
"How dare I!" Ji Daozi quickly pledged his loyalty.
"The master's instructions to 'collect corpses and souls' are the foundation of our sect, and I will always remember them! Expanding the sect is also to better gather resources for the master and serve him faithfully! Now that the eight sects are in turmoil, it's the perfect time for us to quietly make a fortune. I've already given the orders that if necessary, we can secretly instigate them to fight even more fiercely so we can collect even more..."
Chen Fan raised his hand, interrupting his endless chatter.
He didn't want to ask too much about the specific methods used; as long as the result suited his interests, that was enough.
"Is everything still peaceful within the sect? Have Ren Dahai and Zhou Xin caused you any trouble?"
"It's all set!" Ji Daozi patted his chest confidently. "With your prestige, Master, and the support of Emperor Jianwen, plus our current strong army, abundant resources, and united internally! Ren Dahai is in charge of the array defenses, while Zhou Xin and Xiao Jinzi are responsible for external negotiations and disciple recruitment. Everyone is doing their job. It's just that..."
He paused, a troubled look on his face, "Sometimes business is so good that we're a bit short-handed, especially when it comes to reliable, capable people."
Chen Fan neither agreed nor disagreed.
The Yin Corpse Sect follows an unorthodox path, and its cultivation methods are also unique. It is naturally not easy to recruit disciples from reputable families with impeccable lineages. Most of them are independent cultivators or people with ulterior motives.
Maintaining the current situation is already a testament to the skill of the Yakuza.
He then asked a few more questions about the nurturing of the Black Soul Banner's main banner's soul and the details of its interactions with the Great Abyss Court. Ji Daozi answered them one by one, clearly and logically, showing that he had put in the effort.
Finally, Jidaozi cautiously asked, "Master, did you come here this time with any new instructions? Or... just to take a look?"
Chen Fan glanced at him, knowing that the kid was worried that he would "lock" him back into the pot to farm again.
He has now become a force to be reckoned with, and the Yin Corpse Sect's expansion outside has indeed exceeded expectations. It is precisely the time when they need manpower, so naturally they will not act in this way.
"I just stopped by on my way." Chen Fan stood up, walked to the palace entrance, and gazed at the disciples training in the square, and the outline of the imperial city in the distance.
"You did a good job, better than we expected. Keep going in your direction. If you run out of spirit stones and resources, you can come back to us. But remember,"
His tone softened, but it carried an undeniable weight.
"The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. The Yin Corpse Sect's actions are ultimately not the righteous path. You must know to restrain yourself and lest you provoke the combined attack of the eight sects. If that happens, even we may not be able to protect you all the time."
Ji Daozi's expression hardened, his playful demeanor vanished, and he bowed solemnly: "Master's teachings are etched in my heart! I will act with utmost care and will never bring disaster upon you!"
Chen Fan nodded and said no more.
His purpose in coming here today was merely to inspect the place. Seeing that the Yin Corpse Sect was thriving under Ji Daozi's management, and had even become an unexpected asset in his hands, he felt that his objective had been achieved.
As for Ji Daozi's petty thoughts and smugness, he saw them but didn't bother to point them out. Those who are capable will be used.
"You'd better watch yourself." With those words, Chen Fan vanished from the hall in a flash, as if he had never been there.
Jidaozi remained bowed until the invisible pressure completely dissipated before slowly straightening up and letting out a long sigh.
He wiped away non-existent cold sweat, a smug smile returning to his face. He turned to look at the thriving sect outside the hall, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"The old eunuch seems quite satisfied... Heh, all my hard work wasn't in vain." He muttered to himself, then straightened his back, regained the demeanor of a sect leader, strode out, and began to give orders about sect affairs in a loud voice.
……
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At dawn that day, on the desolate plain outside the main gate of the Great Abyss Imperial City, the autumn wind was bleak and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Chen Fan stood alone a hundred feet outside the city gate, his hands behind his back, his plain palace robe spotless, his expression calm.
Not far behind him, Qingmu and Chiyan did not appear, but their Nascent Soul auras faintly enveloped the area, serving both as a deterrent and as a statement of Baicaotang's stance.
Before long, a streak of purple light streaked across the sky at incredible speed, landing ten feet in front of Chen Fan in the blink of an eye. The purple light receded, revealing Wang Tiangang, dressed in a dark purple robe.
His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken, and his expression was so somber it seemed to drip water. No other Wang family cultivators followed him, clearly to show sincerity, or perhaps to avoid further complications under the watchful eyes of the Hundred Herbs Hall.
After landing, Wang Tiangang's gaze was like lightning. He first glanced at Chen Fan, who was all alone, and then warily sensed the two hidden auras around him. He was secretly angry, but he did not show it on his face.
He raised his hand and waved it, and three jade boxes of different sizes and an ancient jade slip appeared out of thin air, hovering in front of him.
"The essence of the thousand-year-old tree, the ten thousand top-grade spirit stones—not a single one missing—and the complete Eight Extremes Breaking Array Diagram has also been imprinted on this jade slip." Wang Tiangang's voice was hoarse, barely suppressing his anger. "Old eunuch, I, Wang, have come as promised. Where is he?"
Chen Fan scanned the jade box with his divine sense, confirming that it indeed contained the heart marrow of the thousand-year-old tree, and the number of spirit stones was also correct. Although he hadn't examined the contents of the jade slip in detail, given Wang Tiangang's current predicament, he doubted that Wang would dare to tamper with the array diagram. He nodded slightly, said nothing more, and then his thoughts stirred.
A blurry ripple appeared in the space beside him, and a figure was "spit out" as he staggered – it was none other than Young Master Wang.
However, the young master Wang at this moment is completely different from the arrogant and domineering young master of the Wang family he once was.
He was dressed in rough, mud-stained linen clothes, his hair was disheveled, his face was pale, his eyes were unfocused, and he faintly smelled of... a livestock shed.
Clearly, his "teaching" career in the world of bowls left an indelible mark on him.