While Yang Zixuan slept sweetly, outside the imperial palace, in a luxurious courtyard.
Disciples of the Yin Gui Sect were discussing something.
A young girl with hair like a waterfall, a beautiful face, and an ethereal aura sat on a high stool, her fair, jade-like feet dangling.
“Master, are we really not going to take little sister Zixuan? Her talent is very good.”
“We cannot. Her eldest sister, Yang Honglian, has already been accepted as a personal disciple by a High Sect. If we take Yang Zixuan, we might offend Yang Honglian.”
A woman in her thirties, with a charming and noble demeanor, shook her head. Her tone was filled with disappointment and helplessness.
“Master, is the High Sect that powerful? Even you are so wary of it.”
Wan Wan asked curiously, tilting her head.
“Wan Wan, you are the most outstanding disciple of the Yin Gui Sect of this generation, and the one with the greatest hope of entering a High Sect. You will know when the time comes.”
The middle-aged woman sighed wistfully, as if recalling the glory of her youth.
“Martial Aunt, Sister Wan Wan is a Innate Grandmaster at 23 years old, hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius. Are you willing to let Sister leave and not let her preside over the Yin Gui Sect?”
Another disciple in a green gauze dress asked curiously.
“It is precisely because Wan Wan’s talent is so exceptional that she must enter a High Sect. Only by entering a High Sect will you know how vast the world is.”
“Master~ Aren’t Grandmasters the strongest? Is the Celestial Realm truly just a legend?”
Wan Wan suddenly asked a serious question.
“Hahaha~ In the Five Directions Dynasty, Grandmasters are indeed the strongest. The Celestial Realm is not a legend, but a confinement.
However, in the Great Yuan Dynasty, Celestials are their nation-protecting forces.
Yet, for the High Sects, Celestials are merely the beginning. All power, all cultivation begins here.”
The middle-aged woman spoke with fervor and admiration.
She had seen the sky beyond the well and knew the scenery of that world.
It was precisely because of this that she remained uninvolved in worldly disputes and focused on cultivating her disciples.
“Alas~ What a pity for Yang Zixuan. If she weren’t Yang Honglian’s sister, I would definitely have brought her into the Yin Gui Sect, and even introduced her to a High Sect.”
She sighed, then thought of something.
“Wan Wan, go to the imperial palace tomorrow and give this ‘Phantom Movement Technique’ to that child.”
Wan Wan was startled and looked up at her master in confusion.
“Master, this ‘Phantom Movement Technique’ is a top-tier martial art, the best movement technique even within our sect. Is it really necessary?”
“Heh heh~ You all have short-sighted views. This Yang Zixuan is clearly being groomed by the Great Sui imperial family, and is very likely the next royal guardian. Now is a good time to foster good relations with her.”
“Martial Aunt, it’s still not necessary!
The Yang family only has nine Grandmasters, and with other Grandmasters from allied forces, there are only about twenty. Our Yin Gui Sect has a full 102 Grandmasters.
We could completely annihilate the Yang imperial clan.”
The disciple in green also asked in confusion.
“Heh heh~ If our Yin Gui Sect dared to destroy the Great Sui imperial family, we would surely be annihilated by the High Sects.
The Five Directions Dynasty is not to be trifled with.”
“Master~”
“Don’t ask, you cannot ask.
When you enter a High Sect or become one of the Nine Elders of the sect, you will naturally know.
If you cannot achieve either of these conditions, then you are not qualified to know the reason.”
The middle-aged woman interrupted with a stern expression.
In truth, she had said too much today.
“Yes.”
The disciples in the room exchanged glances and solemnly agreed.
However, a seed of curiosity had been sown.
…
Not far from this courtyard, in two other grand courtyards, similar conversations were taking place.
In the main hall of the Chaoyang Sect’s stronghold.
“Martial Uncle, should we kill that Yang Zixuan? Her talent is a bit frightening.”
“We cannot kill her for now. We have an agreement with the Great Sui imperial family and cannot kill without reason.
However, if that little girl encounters an accident while out on her training in the future, that will be none of our concern.”
“Heh heh~ This disciple understands.”
“Cough cough~ Remember, the princes and princesses of the Great Sui can only die from accidents.”
“Haha~ Martial Uncle, rest assured, we know what to do.”
In the Xuri Sect’s stronghold, also in a grand hall.
A rough voice roared.
“You brats performed terribly this year. Fifth in the junior group, fourth in the youth group, third in the adult group, and didn’t even get into the top eight in the unlimited group.
You are all useless!
Go back and train twice as hard!”
The furious middle-aged man was one of the deputy sect leaders of the Xuri Sect. He had come to gain honor this time, but instead, his honor had been trampled into the mud.
He had been ridiculed by elders from the Chaoyang Sect and Yin Gui Sect quite a bit these past few days.
“Martial Uncle, we didn’t expect the Yang royal family to produce such a monster, and Wan Wan of the Yin Gui Sect achieving Innate Grandmaster at 23 is also a monster.”
A middle-aged man accompanying them, looking at the disciples who dared not speak, explained for them.
“Hmph~ It’s still that these useless people didn’t train enough.
15 years old! Only 15 years old, and only at the initial stage of second-rate cultivation. You useless people can’t even defeat her, what else are you if not useless?”
The deputy sect leader was still enraged.
“Martial Uncle, how about we… *slap*!”
The middle-aged man made a throat-slitting gesture. The deputy sect leader immediately slapped him hard.
“Idiot~ If you can’t win, you resort to dirty tricks. The Xuri Sect will be led to ruin by you sooner or later.
Now, get back to the mountain immediately and train twice as hard!”
Amidst the deputy sect leader’s furious roar, everyone from the Xuri Sect returned overnight.
…
The Great Sui imperial family had no knowledge of the discussions and intentions of the three great sects of the Great Sui. They did not have the means to monitor the three great sects.
However, the Great Sui imperial family could feel the different attitudes of the three great sects.
The Xuri Sect, which left first, sent an elder to the Great Sui imperial family with thirty Little Sun Pills to increase internal energy.
These were top-grade pills, each capable of increasing internal energy cultivation by ten years. They were not priceless treasures, but they were very rare.
Even with sufficient medicinal ingredients, the Xuri Sect could only refine a hundred such pills annually.
In comparison, the Chaoyang Sect’s fifty 30-year-old ginseng roots seemed meager.
It was worth noting that due to various agreements, the regions under the jurisdiction of the three great sects were exempt from taxes to the Great Sui Dynasty.
Such gifts indeed seemed a bit condescending.
However, the gift from the Yin Gui Sect was almost frighteningly generous.
The top-tier movement technique ‘Phantom Movement Technique’ was a treasure that even the Great Sui imperial family did not possess.
Although the Yin Gui Sect stated it was a gift for Yang Zixuan, it was only natural for the imperial family to make a copy when examining it, right?
In addition, there were 100 Xuan Yin Pills that increased internal energy by 20 years, 100 top-grade swords, and 10 pieces of top-grade armor – Ice Silkworm Silk Inner Armor.
These were all extremely rare treasures.
The Yin Gui Sect’s generosity had somewhat startled the Great Sui imperial family. Emperor Yang Jian himself even personally met with Wan Wan, who was merely a true disciple.
“Your Majesty, the Yin Gui Sect’s ability to develop and prosper in the Great Sui is inseparable from Your Majesty’s wise and clear governance. As a martial sect, we should also offer our sincerity from time to time.”
Faced with Yang Jian’s inquiry, Wan Wan calmly replied.
However, there was a twist afterward.
“Moreover, we have a common enemy…”