In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 109 It's easy to get on a pirate ship, but hard to get off.

And things turned out exactly as Gu Shaoan had guessed.

As Zuo Lengchan spoke, Abbess Miejue snorted coldly, took a step forward, and her true energy circulated once according to the "Nine Shadows of the Spiral" technique, causing her body to appear above Zuo Lengchan like a shadow.

His right hand flew, creating a flurry of palm shadows that enveloped Zuo Lengchan.

Faced with a sky full of palm shadows, even at his peak, Zuo Lengchan might not have been able to distinguish which of these palm shadows were real and which were fake.

Moreover, he is now severely injured, his mental state is compromised, and his strength has greatly diminished.

As Zuo Lengchan raised his hands and waved them, they all struck the palm shadows formed by the illusory image. Miejue's hand, which was mixed in with the palm shadows, pressed down as Miejue breathed.

It landed precisely on the opponent's crown, as if Mount Tai were pressing down on them.

The unrestrained force and profound true energy instantly caused Zuo Lengchan to spit out a mouthful of blood. His body swayed and he stiffly fell to one side, seemingly lifeless.

This move, "Palm Shattering the Heavenly Spirit," seemed to be something anyone could do, and was executed with unparalleled skill. It made Yue Buqun, Daoist Tianmen, and the others in the distance twitch their eyelids and feel their scalps tingle.

I even felt a chill run down my spine, sending shivers down my spine.

Of the Thirteen Protectors of Mount Song, ten died, and Zuo Lengchan was killed.

Even though there were hundreds of Songshan Sect disciples around, not one of them dared to step forward.

Some of the more terrified individuals, seeing that the situation was hopeless, immediately used their lightness skills to flee into the distance.

With these escaped Songshan Sect disciples taking the lead, the remaining Songshan Sect disciples around them followed suit.

In just a dozen or so breaths, not a single living disciple of the Songshan Sect could be seen in the Hengshan Sect.

Without even glancing at the already dead Zuo Lengchan, Miejue flicked her long sleeves and suddenly rose back to stand in front of Gu Shaoan and Abbess Juechen.

His gaze then fell upon Yue Buqun and the other members of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

Meeting Abbess Miejue's gaze, Yue Buqun and the others, who had just been astonished by the fact that Abbess Miejue's internal energy cultivation had reached the Qi Condensation stage, immediately came back to their senses.

Whether it was due to the strength that Abbess Miejue had just displayed, or for some other reason, when Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, and the others looked at Abbess Miejue again, they all felt that her calm gaze was like two ice spikes, chilling them to the bone.

Finally, Yue Buqun was the first to react, stepping forward and clasping his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your righteous help, Abbess."

With Yue Buqun taking the lead, Master Mo Da of the Hengshan Sect, Daoist Tianmen of the Taishan Sect, and Abbess Dingjing all realized what was happening and expressed their gratitude in unison.

In response, Abbess Miejue nodded and then looked at Abbess Dingjing and Abbess Dingxian and said, "Today is the succession ceremony of the Hengshan Sect. I did not want to cause trouble, but the people of the Songshan Sect deliberately provoked us. I hope you two will not take offense."

Master Dingjing did not speak, but looked at Master Dingxian.

After all, the current head of the Hengshan Sect is Master Dingxian.

Understanding Master Dingjing's meaning, Master Dingxian replied, "Senior Sister, you are too kind. Today, Zuo Lengchan and the people of Songshan Sect have surrounded us with so many people and experts. They must have ill intentions. If it weren't for Senior Sister and the Emei Sect taking action, I'm afraid we would not be able to stand here safely right now."

Yue Buqun and the others nearby echoed his sentiments.

Abbess Miejue nodded slightly in acknowledgment. After a few brief words, Abbess Dingjing spoke at the opportune moment and then personally led Gu Shaoan and the others toward the villa.

As they walked, Abbess Miejue casually remarked, "Zuo Lengchan and the ten people he brought today are quite capable. No wonder the Songshan Sect has been able to suppress the other four sects all these years. I wonder if there are any other experts like Zuo Lengchan within the Songshan Sect?"

Master Dingjing's eyes flashed, and she immediately replied, "Since the decisive battle between my Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Sun Moon Divine Sect decades ago, both sides have suffered heavy casualties, and all the elders in our sect have perished together with the demons of the Sun Moon Divine Sect."

"Over the years, in addition to Zuo Lengchan, Zuo Lengchan has also carefully cultivated thirteen elders within the Songshan Sect, who are known in the martial arts world as the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan."

"To my shame, the strength of each of the Thirteen Protectors of Mount Song is no less than that of me and the leaders of the other four sects."

"Those ten people who tried to launch a surprise attack on your sect's disciples while Sect Leader Miejue was making his move are all among the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan. It's shameful to admit."

After chatting for a while, everyone returned to the villa behind the mountain.

After instructing some Hengshan Sect disciples to wait patiently outside the villa and not to be negligent, Abbess Dingjing turned and left.

After the Emei Sect elders and their disciples left, Yang Yan suddenly tugged at Abbess Juechen's sleeve.

When Abbess Juechen turned to look at her, Yang Yan asked, "Master, is today's matter over just like that?"

Understanding Yang Yan's meaning, Abbess Juechen smiled and said, "Do you think we should press our advantage and attack the Songshan Sect?"

With no outsiders present, Yang Yan wasn't worried about saying the wrong thing. She smiled and said, "I just feel that since we've already killed the leader of the Songshan Sect, the feud is over, isn't it?"

At this moment, Abbess Miejue suddenly looked at Gu Shaoan and asked, "Shaoan, what do you think?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and replied, "For now, it's just right. As for the rest, it depends on what the Hengshan Sect, Huashan Qi Sect, and the other three sects do next."

Hearing Gu Shaoan's words, Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen exchanged a glance and smiled.

Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo exchanged a glance, only to see a blank look in each other's eyes.

In response, Gu Shaoan could only explain, "There is no need for that. The Hengshan Sect, Huashan Qi Sect, and the other two sects will handle the rest."

A thought flashed through Yang Yan's mind, as if she had realized something: "Does Senior Brother mean that the other four sects will join forces to destroy the Songshan Sect?"

"Not bad!"

Gu Shaoan nodded.

To the outside world, the martial arts community only knows that the Five Mountains Sword Sects are of one mind and share the same roots.

In reality, they were unaware that the so-called "shared destiny" was nothing more than the Songshan Sect interfering in the affairs of the other four sects and exploiting them.

Unfortunately, it's easy to get on a pirate ship but hard to get off.

Even though they already knew about the Songshan Sect's wolfish ambitions, the other four sects could only be forced to submit to the Songshan Sect and were constantly being pushed forward by it.

The Huashan Qi Sect is now so desperate that it can only be described as "impoverished".

A second-rate force, including him as the sect leader, has less than ten people in total.

How ridiculous.

Now, the Emei Sect has taken action and dealt with Zuo Lengchan and ten other masters from the Songshan Sect, including Ding Mian.

It's not just a matter of crippling the Songshan Sect.

Instead, they have already broken all the arms and legs of the Songshan Sect.

For Yue Buqun, as long as he could eliminate the Songshan Sect, he could obtain a large amount of money from them.

For the current Huashan Qi Sect, this money is their lifeline.

Only by obtaining enough money and benefits from the Songshan Sect can Yue Buqun enable the Huashan Qi Sect to expand its disciples, cultivate its strength, and revive its reputation.

Even disregarding the actions of the Songshan Sect towards the Huashan Qi Sect over the years, Yue Buqun could not possibly give up this lifeline.

While the Hengshan Sect, Taishan Sect, and Hengshan Sect are not as desperate as the Huashan Qi Sect, they are not in dire straits.

However, after years of exploitation by the Songshan Sect, it is inevitable that the three sects will be facing financial difficulties.

Moreover, compared to the meager number of disciples in the Huashan Qi Sect, the three sects have a large number of disciples, resulting in a much greater expenditure of money.

If the four sects unite, the Songshan Sect alone faces virtually no difficulty or risk. No sect would be foolish enough to give up such a sure-fire deal.

After Gu Shaoan slowly explained these things, Zhou Zhiruo suddenly realized, "So, even if our Emei Sect doesn't take action, the Songshan Sect will still be doomed."

Yang Yan frowned and said, "But wouldn't that mean all the benefits would go to others? What do you think, Senior Sister Zhiruo?"

Faced with Yang Yan's sudden greeting, Zhou Zhiruo thought for a moment and nodded.

"If it can bring more benefits to my Emei Sect, that would naturally be good."

The fact that Yang Yan agreed with her clearly shows that Zhou Zhiruo had been influenced by Gu Shaoan and Yang Yan to some extent over the past three years.

Although she was purely kind, she also knew that she could help the sect to make a profit.

Neither Abbess Miejue nor Abbess Juechen spoke; instead, they waited quietly for Gu Shaoan's response.

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "Our Emei Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect. When a prestigious and righteous sect acts, it is important not only to benefit itself, but also to adhere to the principle of 'reason'."

"The source of this conflict is clearly Zuo Lengchan, along with his Thirteen Protectors and numerous disciples, attacked us Emei disciples. Even if we killed them, it was because Zuo Lengchan and his group overestimated themselves. They died, and no one can find fault with them."

“But if we take the lead or actively destroy the Songshan Sect, it will not be a righteous act, but rather an act of bullying the weak.”

"How will people in the martial arts world view our Emei sect then?"

Knowing that Gu Shaoan was definitely right, Yang Yan still felt that letting things go like this was a thankless task.

Seeing Yang Yan's reaction, Gu Shaoan smiled and patted the girl's head.

In fact, the Emei Sect's intervention this time helped the Huashan Qi Sect, Hengshan Sect, Taishan Sect, and Hengshan Sect remove this huge boulder from their heads.

But isn't this also putting a new burden on the heads of the other four factions?

When the Songshan Sect existed, the Sun Moon Cult also focused on the Songshan Sect.

Now that the Songshan Sect is gone, the other four sects will have to deal with the methods of the Sun Moon Sect in the future.

The Songshan Sect is gone, but they still have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of dealing with the Sun Moon Cult.

Whether it's a profit or a loss, who can say for sure?

Be soft on others.

If the Songshan Sect is destroyed, the Emei Sect will also get a large share. If the four sects encounter trouble with the Sun Moon Sect in the future, wouldn't they have to ask the Emei Sect for help, which would only create more trouble?

This is why Gu Shaoan didn't want the Emei Sect to get involved in what followed.

After a moment's thought, Gu Shaoan continued, "Our purpose in coming down the mountain this time was to establish our authority. Now that we have achieved our goal, we have used Zuo Lengchan and the name of Songshan to enhance the reputation of Emei, uphold the dignity of our sect, and protect Hengshan Sect. Since we have accomplished our objective, why should we get involved in this mess and tarnish our own reputation?"

"The four words 'reputable and orthodox' have always been the foundation of our Emei sect."

His words were meticulous and detailed, clearly explaining the power struggles between various martial arts sects.

Whether it was Abbess Miejue, who had one hand behind her back, or Abbess Juechen, they couldn't help but nod in agreement as they listened to Gu Shaoan's analysis, feeling extremely gratified.

In this world, the rarest thing is to be able to maintain one's integrity even when faced with profit, and to know what one can and cannot do.

One can act domineeringly, but one cannot act without principle.

If one prioritizes profit above all else, without any bottom line or reason, then the phrase "reputable and righteous sect" becomes a joke.

The fundamental difference between reputable sects and demonic sects is that reputable sects always have their own bottom line and principles.

In the eyes of Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen, Gu Shaoan's ability to do this already surpasses that of others by a great margin.

Just then, Gu Shaoan suddenly looked at Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen.

"Master, I would like to take my senior sister and junior sister to the Songshan Sect."

Upon hearing Gu Shaoan speak, Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen quickly understood his meaning.

Abbess Miejue asked, "Do you want to eliminate the remaining three masters of the Songshan Sect?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "It just so happens that Master and Uncle also have this concern. They are worried that before the four sects come to their door, the remaining three of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan will run away and lie low. Why don't you let me go first?"

"It just so happens that Senior Sister and Junior Sister have improved their strength considerably in the past three years. I estimate that, based on the strength displayed by the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan Sect today, if Senior Sister and Junior Sister joined forces, they wouldn't be much weaker."

"This is a rare opportunity. It's a good time to find some sparring partners for my senior and junior sisters to practice with. It will also help them improve their combat skills and awareness. It's a way of making use of the remaining value of the Songshan Sect."

Sparring and fighting are not the same thing between martial artists.

The most obvious difference is in mindset.

Just like Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, when they fight each other or even Gu Shaoan, the two women are inevitably a bit restrained when they fight. But when they face an enemy, the situation is different.

Upon hearing Gu Shaoan's suggestion, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan's eyes lit up instantly.

If it were a year ago, and Gu Shaoan had made such a request, not only would Abbess Miejue have refused, but even Abbess Juechen would not have agreed.

But now, although Gu Shaoan is only of marriageable age, his strength has already surpassed that of the two of them, making him the leader of the Emei Sect.

In addition, Gu Shaoan was precocious and quite experienced in dealing with people and things.

Faced with Gu Shaoan's request, Abbess Miejue thought for a moment, then looked at Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, whose eyes were filled with anticipation, and shook her head, saying, "When do you plan to set off?"

It was clear that they had agreed to Gu Shaoan's request.

Gu Shaoan laughed and said, "The longer we wait, the more things might go wrong. It's better to set off sooner rather than later! If we wait for those people from the Songshan Sect to return to the Songshan Sect and those three manage to escape first, then our trip will have been in vain."

Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "Alright, then pack your things and we'll set off in a bit!"

Gu Shaoan bowed and said, "This disciple obeys."

Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan also bowed with smiles, and then turned around with Gu Shaoan to pack their luggage.

Seeing Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan's impatient expressions, Abbess Juechen couldn't help but sigh.

"These two kids have probably been thinking about leaving us and going off to roam the martial world with Shao'an for a long time."

Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Abbess Miejue smiled as if she had just remembered something and said, "Weren't we the same back then?"

Upon hearing this, Abbess Juechen paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "That's true."

After all, disciples are more reserved in front of their elders.

Even they, when they were first able to go down the mountain alone to travel the world, were so excited that they couldn't sleep all night.

Young people are free-spirited and their hearts are always wandering. Staying in one place for too long can feel like being trapped in a cage.

Moreover, with Gu Shaoan watching over them, the two of them really had nothing to worry about.

　I kept dozing off while writing, so I missed a thousand words today. I'll make up for it tomorrow!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)