Chapter 401
Zheng Fa understood at a glance:
In this hall, anyone below the Yuanying stage had to either stand as decoration or serve as attendants, unable to partake in the food.
Yuanying cultivators could sit and nibble a bit, but they couldn’t take the main seat, let alone speak.
Only the Huashen stage cultivators were the true protagonists. Not a single Yuanying dared to utter a word; only the sounds of laughter and debate from the Huashen masters filled the air.
Yet, these Yuanying grandmasters had to listen attentively, remain silent, and respond appropriately to every word from the Huashen big shots...
Eating in such a situation was truly exhausting.
Zheng Fa paused for a moment, suddenly pondering a question—should he go grab a lantern?
The lantern was a joke, but the real issue was that he didn’t know where he should sit.
“Zheng Fa?”
It was the master seated at the head, Cheng Kong, who spoke up. He glanced at Zheng Fa, seemingly sensing his confusion, and pointed to an empty seat beside him, saying, “We’ve been waiting for you.”
The hall fell silent immediately. The spot Cheng Kong indicated was right next to Xie Qingxue from the Tianhe Sect.
Everyone watched as Zheng Fa, a glaringly obvious early-stage Jindan, walked past the Yuanying grandmasters, bowed to the three newly arrived Huashen, and then plopped down into the small circle of the Xuanwei Five Sects with Senior Sister Zhang.
Zheng Fa felt all eyes piercing him from every direction, as if he were a husky calmly walking into a pack of wolves.
He didn’t mind too much—though he could only be considered half a Huashen, he was a doubles player.
Senior Sister Zhang counted as half too!
Together, they could be considered one Huashen; that was just being modest.
If anyone disagreed, they could ask the Blood River Ancestor!
But there was one gaze that felt a bit strange, seemingly filled with deep resentment.
Turning his head, Zheng Fa saw Yan Wushuang standing stiffly behind Xie Qingxue, staring at him with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
...This was a true friend; he couldn’t let him feel wronged.
Zheng Fa nudged Senior Sister Zhang, revealing an empty spot, and gestured to Yan Wushuang that there was room for him to sit.
Yan Wushuang couldn’t help but chuckle, lifting his foot to move, only to feel a chill from behind.
Xie Qingxue shot him a glance and coldly remarked, “My spot is spacious; why don’t you squeeze in with me?”
Yan Wushuang looked at Zheng Fa, whose arm was pressed against his, their knees touching, and then at his master sister, radiating a chilling sword aura...
He swallowed hard and finally said, “I’m fine standing.”
...
Cheng Kong observed Zheng Fa chatting easily, even seeming to be in a joking mood, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face. The other Huashen cultivators, too, regarded him with newfound respect.
Even Tongming, the elder, nodded and smiled at Zheng Fa.
They certainly wouldn’t appreciate any reckless behavior, but the situation was special; it was a time for everyone to contribute, and those capable should step up.
If Zheng Fa had appeared too timid or humble, it would have suggested he was unfit for the task at hand.
Now, as a Jindan sitting among Huashen, his relaxed demeanor actually conveyed a sense of confidence, which inevitably put others at ease.
It seemed they were truly just waiting for Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang. Once he settled in, Tongming stood up from his seat and cleared his throat.
Everyone in the hall put down their cups and looked up at him.
“Thanks to the five esteemed masters, we gather here to discuss strategies to eradicate the Demon Sect, a matter of great importance for maintaining the righteous path of heaven and earth!”
Tongming set the tone right from the start.
The expressions of the crowd were a mix of seriousness and awkwardness as they listened to him speak.
“In recent times, our Hundred Immortals Alliance has suffered greatly at the hands of the Great Freedom Demon Sect, with several Yuanying cultivators killed, and countless disciples’ families losing their lives. Our resources have been plundered clean.”
“Our Hundred Immortals Alliance is in dire straits!”
As Tongming spoke, his eyes began to redden.
The hall fell silent.
“But with the arrival of the five esteemed masters, things are different! The moment Cheng Kong arrived, he destroyed two of the Great Freedom Demon Sect’s Blood Flags, effectively saving the lives of the Xuanwei people from disaster!”
“Today, with the esteemed masters from the Tianhe Sect, Haori Mountain, Thunder Sound Temple, and Yaochi here, our Hundred Immortals Alliance has regained its confidence and no longer fears the Great Freedom Demon Sect!”
“Without the five esteemed masters, this region would surely become a den of demons.”
“Now, please allow me to raise a cup to honor the five esteemed masters!”
With that, he picked up a cup from the table and downed it in one gulp.
Cheng Kong and the other four exchanged glances and also raised their cups of spirit wine.
After Tongming finished speaking, he turned to the three Huashen and the ten or so grandmasters who had come.
“I am truly grateful for your assistance. We all understand the principle of mutual support in times of need... This great righteousness will be remembered by me, Tongming.” As he spoke, everyone naturally responded with modesty, their expressions softening.
Zheng Fa’s gaze was somewhat peculiar—he had never realized Tongming had such eloquence.
When he first entered, Zheng Fa had sensed that the atmosphere in the hall wasn’t quite right.
The three Huashen aside, the expressions of the grandmasters who had come were hard to describe as willing.
It was easy to understand; even the Jiushan Sect hesitated upon receiving the summons, and other sects were likely the same. They had come here, probably out of fear of the Xuanwei Five Sects.
He had guessed that Tongming was using fine wine and good food to soothe everyone’s spirits.
But Tongming’s words truly dispelled that resentment—
He had subtly conveyed three points:
Without Cheng Kong, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor would have already struck.
This time, the five esteemed masters were the main force against the Great Freedom Demon Sect; don’t complain.
Without the Hundred Immortals Alliance, the Great Freedom Demon Sect wouldn’t spare you.
Yet, he articulated these points so tactfully, praising both the Xuanwei Five Sects and the grandmasters who had come to help.
The reasoning was firm, but the tone was soft; in the quiet exchange, everyone in the hall understood.
There was a moment of silence before everyone responded, and a genuine sense of unity began to form.
Zheng Fa looked at Cheng Kong, puzzled: What kind of secret teachings had Tongming received? What was he studying in the Dao of the Supreme? Political science?
After Tongming finished, his gaze turned to Cheng Kong, clearly indicating that his main role was to work on morale; the next step would require Cheng Kong to issue commands, as his own status wasn’t sufficient.
Cheng Kong smiled, lightly tapping his bamboo staff in the air. Golden light fell from the bamboo leaves, coalescing into a golden foil-like curtain, upon which was drawn a map of Chenjun.
“Currently, the disciples of the Great Freedom Demon Sect have all gathered in Chenjun. Based on my estimates, there should be at least a million of them.”
Everyone gasped in shock, but Zheng Fa had anticipated this.
That number seemed low—given the situation in Jiushan, there were over thirty million people.
The Great Freedom Demon Sect had operated in secret realms for hundreds of thousands of years; if they had only counted a population of over a hundred million, it was likely an underestimate. But how many exactly, Cheng Kong probably knew better than he did.
“Of course, among them, only about a hundred thousand have any cultivation, and those controlling the Blood Flags must be at least Jindan level—our estimates suggest there are at most a thousand.”
That number sounded much smaller.
But it was still terrifying, at least equivalent to ten Hundred Immortals Alliances.
In fact, that ratio was quite high:
Zheng Fa had calculated that in the Xuanwei realm, roughly one cultivator emerged from every ten thousand people.
The ratio of Jindan to Qi Refiners was actually hard to determine:
Because Jindan lived longer, the ratio of Jindan to Qi Refiners in a sect appeared skewed.
This was even more evident among Yuanying cultivators; Jiushan Sect had only a dozen Jindan, yet three Yuanying, so it wasn’t as simple as four or five Jindan producing one Yuanying—mainly because the elders lived too long.
But however you looked at it, the ratio of Jindan in the Great Freedom Demon Sect was still higher than that of a typical sect.
Their bloodline must have some benefits for cultivation.
In comparison, the gathered sects controlled a far larger population than the Great Freedom Demon Sect’s secret realm.
But the total number of Jindan likely didn’t exceed three hundred...
“What about the Yuanying?” someone asked.
“Above the Yuanying stage, we hold the advantage,” Cheng Kong replied. “This time, we have nearly a hundred Yuanying gathered, and the Demon Sect’s cultivation methods tend to be rapid in the early stages but fall short compared to our sect’s methods later on...”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
There was still hope for victory.
After all, in the Xuanwei realm, strength was revered; quantity couldn’t compete with quality.
“Since we have the advantage, we cannot give the Great Freedom Demon Sect any chance to breathe during our incursion into Chenjun.” Cheng Kong pointed at the map. “I’ve only read about the Five-Element Blood Array in texts; the specifics of its peculiarities aren’t fully documented.”
“The methods of the Great Freedom Demon Sect are treacherous; we must remain vigilant.”
“If we cannot wipe out the Demon Sect’s Jindan disciples in Chenjun, allowing the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor to find a way to resurrect, all our previous efforts will be in vain.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
This time, their goal in attacking Chenjun wasn’t just to win; they primarily needed to prevent the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor from descending.
That was the most troublesome part, as they had yet to fully grasp the Demon Sect’s methods.
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