Wen Yuanying originally had not wanted to come. She knew Li Huan would be here, but she had no choice. As the leading Elder of the Tianyuan Sect, she had to attend.
The moment she arrived, she heard Li Huan cursing heaven and earth, prompting her to shout out a reprimand.
"Junior Sister Wen, it has been a long time. I was just joking with them to lighten the mood."
Seeing Wen Yuanying's arrival, Li Huan quickly changed his tune, his attitude softening considerably.
Given Li Huan's temperament, even his own Mysterious Yin Sect feared him. He dared to curse the Sect Leader, and the Supreme Elder had issued a Penalty against him countless times, yet his nature remained unchanged.
"What long time no see? Did we not just part ways a few days ago?" Qi Hu muttered under his breath.
"Old Man Qi, if you hold your tongue, no one will mistake you for a mute." Li Huan naturally heard the muttering and softly snapped back.
"Alright, since everyone has gathered, let us get to the matter at hand." Seeing Wen Yuanying take her place, Lin Tiancheng immediately turned to the main topic.
"Sect Leader Lin, is little friend Qin Xiao present? We still owe him our thanks." Not seeing Qin Xiao, Wu Li asked curiously.
"He has already recounted the entire sequence of events to me. As for the rest, your disciples have presumably informed you. There is no need for him to be present for this discussion. If you wish to see him, I will have someone summon him after we conclude." Lin Tiancheng had not expected them to seek out Qin Xiao for thanks, so he offered this explanation.
"That is fine as well. Then let us discuss the matter of the Beast-Control Sect. Although I did not participate in the events three hundred years ago, the Immortal Dao Merchant Association has records of it." Seeing Lin Tiancheng's stance, Wu Li did not press the issue and instead broached the subject of the Beast-Control Sect.
"Indeed. My Mysterious Yin Sect also possesses some records regarding that year's events, but they are vague and lack specific details." Li Huan chimed in.
"Allow me to speak. I participated in that battle back then." After pondering for a moment, Qi Hu decided he should be the one to explain.
It turned out that three hundred years ago, a group of people had arrived from the Central Province. Although they did not seem like ordinary cultivators, each possessed heaven-shaking strength. Only later was it discovered that they were from the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty. They were apparently hunting someone down and stumbled upon the Beast-Control Sect by chance.
Over the following ten years, that group failed to find their quarry and prepared to return. Before departing, they went to the Beast-Control Sect and demanded they hand over their cultivation methods. The Beast-Control Sect, thinking themselves clever, offered up an incomplete manual. Soon after, the Beast-Control Sect was branded an evil sect, and all factions in Qingzhou received orders to exterminate them.
At first, everyone only acted under the immense pressure. But upon learning they could share in the Beast-Control Sect's Beast-Control Art, greed took root. Everyone tacitly agreed, gathering their disciples at once. In a single day, they annihilated the Beast-Control Sect entirely.
"Damn, that is utterly shameless." Li Huan cursed directly upon hearing this tale.
Li Huan was only a little over two hundred years old; three hundred years ago, he had not even been born. Naturally, he felt no burden of responsibility, nor did he care that he was cursing his own Sect.
"Watch your words. Although we did not initiate this matter, we also struck because of our own greed," Qi Hu said with a hint of helplessness.
"So that is the truth. No wonder the Supreme Elder was evasive and refused to explain in detail when I asked him." Only now did Lin Tiancheng understand the reality of the situation. His Sect's records merely documented a few battles under the false premise that the Beast-Control Sect was an evil faction.
In this cultivation world, the weak are prey to the strong. Mutual slaughter carried little guilt, and so much time had already passed. Who truly cared what happened back then? Had they not encountered Fan Hongfei in the second layer of the Abyss Secret Realm, this would have remained buried in the past.
"That explains it. No wonder our major Sects all possess their own Beast-Taming Department. But why was the Immortal Dao Merchant Association targeted? You do not have a Beast-Taming Department. Did you also strike against them back then?" Li Huan asked curiously. The remnants targeting the Sects made sense due to the extermination, but why exact revenge on the Immortal Dao Merchant Association?
"Sigh, it is a long story. The Beast-Control Sect Leader Fan Kangbo once sought aid from our Immortal Dao Merchant Association, declaring outright that his Beast-Control Sect was not an evil faction. He hoped we would uphold justice. Of course, we knew they were innocent, but facing the pressure of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty and weighing our own interests, we ultimately chose neutrality. We remained silent. Presumably, Fan Kangbo's hatred for the Immortal Dao Merchant Association took root then."
Though Wu Li felt somewhat helpless, he stated the facts openly. There was nothing to hide.
"According to the records, the Beast-Control Sect was entirely exterminated with no survivors. Looking back now, the person in the Abyss Secret Realm is likely Fan Kangbo's young son, who was reported to have died in an accident. He was the only one not on the death lists; everyone else was slaughtered." Qi Hu voiced his deductions.
"Since the truth is clear, there is nothing left to say. This Abyss Secret Realm is completely ruined. Bearing a blood grudge of sect extermination, that person has likely gone mad. Whoever goes in will die. Furthermore, the Abyss Secret Realm restricts entry to those under fifty years of age. Does Qingzhou possess any fifty-year-old Soul Formation cultivators?"
Li Huan finally realized his Supreme Elder had held back the truth, earnestly sending him here to negotiate a solution. A solution for what? When they were slaughtering another's Sect, why did they not think of the consequences then? Now, this mess was beyond his ability to clean up. Once he returned to the Sect, he would immediately enter Secluded Cultivation. The heavens could fall for all he cared; he wanted no part of it.
"The immediate problem is no longer the Abyss Secret Realm itself, but whether that person will step out of it. If he truly emerges, we must have a plan. Otherwise, facing a Soul Formation Demon Beast alongside a Soul Formation cultivator, our disciples will be forced to cower within our Sects," Qi Hu quickly added.
The sins of the past had already been committed. Now, they could only walk the dark path to the end and jointly eliminate this remnant of the Beast-Control Sect. Otherwise, these Sects would never know a moment of peace, haunted day and night by a Soul Formation cultivator lurking in the shadows, waiting to prey upon their disciples.
"Elder Qi is correct. We must indeed make preparations. If he is bound to that place, so be it, but if he emerges, we cannot be caught unawares." Lin Tiancheng agreed with Qi Hu's sentiment. With matters at this stage, right and wrong no longer held any weight. All that mattered was protecting the Sect's foundation and the safety of its disciples.
"Are you not exaggerating? It is merely a Demon Beast and a cultivator at the early Soul Formation realm. What plans do we need? If he dares to show his face, I can slaughter them alone." Li Huan looked entirely unconcerned. It was just the early Soul Formation realm, yet they spoke as if the sky were falling.
"If only it were so simple. Our young master reported that upon their first encounter, the man was only at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm. Later that very same day, he had already broken through to the early Soul Formation realm. Such terrifying progression speed must be guarded against. If he can freely enter and exit the Abyss Secret Realm, then at this rate, reaching the late Soul Formation realm will not take him long."
Wu Li spoke up quickly. If it were truly just two early Soul Formation entities, it might not warrant such dread. But that man and his Demon Beast fought as one, making them incredibly difficult to deal with.
"We can discuss it when the time comes. He has not emerged yet. Even if his cultivation soars, do we not have Body Integration ancestors holding down our Sects? Why panic?" Li Huan maintained his nonchalance. Regardless, he was retreating into Secluded Cultivation the moment he returned. What did any of this matter to him?
"I know this matter requires careful deliberation. However, I hope that once you all return, you will inform your respective Sects. If he cannot leave, that is naturally for the best. But if he does, we must react swiftly to prevent unnecessary casualties." Qi Hu knew a consensus could not be reached immediately, so he let the matter rest.
"Sect Leader, the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion's Supreme Elder requests an audience." Just as Lin Tiancheng was about to speak again, a disciple arrived to report that the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion's Supreme Elder, Ye Qiuyue, had arrived.
"Sister Qiuyue has arrived? Quickly, invite her in. Also, go and summon Qin Xiao." Hearing that Ye Qiuyue was here, Wen Yuanying immediately issued the order.