Chapter 589
Elder Jiu felt a pang of guilt as he recalled his earlier suspicions about this disciple, and a sense of justice for him began to stir within.
The two leaders of Chongxuan Sect remained silent.
"I won't speak of others, Elder Ba, you have always been loyal to our sect. Are you willing to descend the mountain to deal with Jiu Shan Sect?"
Elder Ba had no words to respond.
Li Hao was reckless; he was putting his life on the line!
Who knew when Zheng Fa would strike again?
Yet, he had to admit that among the many cultivators of Chongxuan Sect, the various magical tools and elixirs Li Hao had seized from Jiu Shan Sect accounted for a staggering ninety percent!
The other disciples only dared to engage in petty theft and minor skirmishes.
Moreover, Li Hao was exceptionally strong, able to stand against those Shenxiao warships all on his own.
After a moment of contemplation, the leader of Chongxuan Sect spoke, "Li Hao is indeed a talent and has contributed significantly to our sect. But it’s not that we don’t trust him; it’s that the Stone Man..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly paused, his expression shifting to one of complexity. "The Stone Man has summoned Li Hao."
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 431: Not Losing to Zheng Fa, the Essence of Spirit Stones**
This was Zheng Fa's second visit to the summit of Shenhuo Mountain.
Despite his previous experience, as soon as he arrived, alarm bells rang in his mind.
At the volcano's mouth, the Xianjian (Immortal Sword) radiated a murderous aura, with the earth fire coiling into dark red serpents that licked the sword's body, adding to its menacing appearance.
Once he stepped into the mist, the sense of threat from the Xianjian multiplied tenfold.
Meanwhile, Shi Nandang's enthusiasm for Zheng Fa was tenfold greater than last time:
As soon as he ascended the mountain, before Zheng Fa could speak, Elder Ba, walking ahead, respectfully knelt on the ground and greeted a somewhat unfamiliar transformation master with a loud voice, "Greetings, Master!"
Ye Shimei's news was indeed well-informed!
Elder Ba had truly lowered himself, eagerly seeking a new master.
Zheng Fa caught a glimpse of his convenient master, Elder Jiu, and the leader of Chongxuan Sect, both with their heads bowed, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
In truth, good birds choose good trees to perch on; the other two Yuanying (Nascent Soul) elders of Chongxuan Sect likely had little opinion about an unrelated person taking a master.
The problem was... Elder Ba had a master before, who had passed away, but was still an elder of Chongxuan Sect.
This act of Elder Ba seemed to betray his former master, and worse, it was a betrayal of the sect's lineage, which made the two elders feel somewhat stifled.
Among the seven transformation masters at the summit, only Shi Nandang could be called a true disciple of Haori Mountain; the others, like Tongming Shangren, though possessing transformation-level cultivation, could not enter Haori Mountain's gates.
The new master Elder Ba had taken was one of those.
In other words, this transformation master was not even a proper disciple of Haori Mountain.
Thus, even if he wanted to find an excuse, claiming that the ancestors of Chongxuan Sect were originally disciples of Haori Mountain and he was merely returning to his roots, it seemed somewhat unjustifiable.
Given Elder Ba's status, the entire Chongxuan Sect, including the leader and Elder Jiu, naturally could not say anything, but it was only natural for them to feel uneasy.
The transformation master’s gaze was somewhat indifferent, but seeing Elder Ba kneeling with such deep respect and admiration, a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes as he raised his hand and said, "Rise."
"Thank you, Master!"
Elder Ba stood up and moved to stand beside the transformation master.
This freshly minted master-disciple pair, both holding titles within Chongxuan Sect, now had Elder Ba acting like a humble servant, standing to the side, attentive and flattering.
Elder Jiu's discomfort deepened.
Zheng Fa shook his head slightly; his master seemed to have a bit of pride...
But the gap in cultivation was undeniable.
Often, it was those like Elder Ba, willing to set aside their pride, who fared better.
Indeed, the transformation elder seemed quite pleased with Elder Ba, asking, "Since you have taken me as your master and your cultivation is sufficient, this transformation method is one I created. Take it and feel free to ask me any questions you may have."
Elder Ba's face lit up with joy, and he knelt again, bowing his head and exclaiming, "Thank you for imparting your teachings, Master!"
Zheng Fa had heard from Elder Jiu that although Haori Mountain had promised Chongxuan Sect the methods for Yuanying transformation, they would not reward without merit; at least Elder Jiu had yet to access the transformation methods.
Now, Elder Ba had finally achieved his wish; his display of humility was not in vain.
...
While the master and disciple shared a moment of mutual respect, Shi Nandang was not particularly concerned with the two of them but was instead sizing up Zheng Fa with an appreciative gaze.
"I didn't expect Chongxuan Sect to have such a talent as you..."
Suddenly, a golden flame ignited in his eyes, as if he wanted to see through Zheng Fa's bones and dantian, his meridians and acupoints.
"The spiritual energy of the 'Fentian Dafa' is so pure? This physical body..."
"Not bad... not bad!"
As he spoke, the two others immediately fell silent, focusing intently, clearly aware that Shi Nandang, as a true disciple of Haori Mountain, held a status far above the other six transformation masters.
Zheng Fa felt a bit surprised.
Why was Shi Nandang so pleased?
His confusion was soon resolved by Shi Nandang's next words:
"My sect sent me to oversee Chongxuan Sect, and while the primary task is to refine the Xianjian, dealing with the Hundred Immortals Alliance is also a major concern." Shi Nandang glanced at everyone, even revealing a bit of his own shortcomings:
"For this, how many spirit stones and resources did the mountain provide us?"
His tone was flat, yet the summit was eerily quiet, even the surging earth fire seemed to be treading carefully.
"But now?"
"We're trying to win over various sects, yet Zheng Fa's birthing formation is so grand that it frightens them into not daring to engage with us openly; they only waver on both sides."
"Offering a hefty bounty, yet that Jiu Shan Sect's Shenxiao warships are nearly impenetrable below the Golden Core level."
"Even allowing Zheng Fa to reach the gates of Chongxuan Sect, we are powerless; the scattered Yuanying from Haori Mountain are all timid and of little use."
Zheng Fa was well aware of the current situation.
Indeed, many Yuanying cultivators had come from Haori Mountain, seeking opportunities within the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
However, most of these individuals had some connection to Chongxuan Sect. Zheng Fa had received news from Ye Shimei and passed it on to Elder Han.
Thus, it was likely that most of the Yuanying from Haori Mountain were actually under the control of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
As for the remaining two, if they harmed any disciples of Jiu Shan Sect, Sister Zhang, Zheng Fa, or even Xie Qingxue would retaliate.
Especially since Zheng Fa had brazenly killed the Bi Shui Poison Immortal at the gates of Chongxuan Sect, many Yuanying cultivators were hesitant to provoke Jiu Shan Sect.
The once grand bounty from Haori Mountain now seemed to be all talk and no action—
The losses of Jiu Shan Sect in terms of spiritual materials were unavoidable, and Zheng Fa had even deliberately allowed his disciples to choose to give up at opportune moments.
After all, if only Li Hao could seize spiritual materials from Jiu Shan Sect, it would easily raise suspicions among the discerning.
However, instances of Jiu Shan disciples losing their lives were few and far between.
"Given the current situation, how can I report back to the sect?"
Shi Nandang's tone was icy.
At the summit, no one dared to speak, as if the Xianjian had lodged itself in their throats.
Zheng Fa, however, found himself lost in thought—
Shi Nandang's situation resembled that of a project manager, arriving at Chongxuan Sect with a substantial amount of resources, with the goal of hindering Jiu Shan Sect's development.
Now, it seemed this project was on the verge of losing everything.
"I didn't expect you all to give me a pleasant surprise!" Unexpectedly, Shi Nandang's expression shifted from cloudy to clear, suddenly pointing at Zheng Fa and smiling, "With Li Hao, I now have something to report to the elders!"
Me?
Zheng Fa felt puzzled, while the others wore expressions of confusion.
"I see that Li Hao has seized quite a bit of goods from Jiu Shan Sect, hasn't he?"
Zheng Fa nodded silently.
Indeed, quite a lot...
The trade between the Hundred Immortals Alliance and Haori Mountain was thriving, reaching new heights.
"This matter has brought great joy to the sect, and they specifically sent a letter of praise."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa felt he had done a great deed—
Jiu Shan Sect had received the spiritual materials they were lacking.
Haori Mountain had received a splendid battle report.
Shi Nandang had gained accolades from the sect.
A triple win!
"Of course, this is all secondary... compared to you, Li Hao, it pales in comparison!"
Shi Nandang looked at Li Hao with the eyes of one who had discovered a precious gem: "I heard you single-handedly held off those Shenxiao warships?"
Zheng Fa nodded slightly.
"Good! Those Shenxiao warships, while merely external Golden Cores, are not typical early-stage Golden Cores... You managed to single-handedly defeat over thirty Shenxiao warships; that is truly invincible among Golden Cores!"
"Uh, except for Zheng Fa, who is at the Golden Core stage!"
This statement was not without merit.
In Chongxuan Sect, although Zheng Fa suppressed his own strength... he could be considered a peerless figure.
If one did not count his own abnormality of mastering Fusang Wood at the Golden Core stage, Li Hao's performance could likely rival that of the revered Tianhe.
Little did he expect Shi Nandang to continue:
"Though Zheng Fa is strong, having drawn the ire of Haori Mountain, his path ahead will surely be fraught with difficulties."
"But you, in the future, will enter the gates of Haori Mountain and be nurtured by Haori Mountain..."
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