Beast Taming Immortal Clan

Chapter 519 The Attitude of Qinglian Temple [Please Subscribe]

After Daoist Qingchen failed to reach the Nascent Soul stage and perished, Qinglian Temple now has a total of eleven Golden Core stage cultivators.

Only one late-stage Golden Core cultivator remained, four mid-stage Golden Core cultivators remained, and the rest were early-stage Golden Core cultivators.

These Golden Core cultivators were naturally not a monolithic group.

In fact, a considerable number of high-level cultivators in many sects are ascetic practitioners who only focus on their own cultivation and don't even care much about their disciples.

Normally, if the sect needs them, as long as it complies with the sect's regulations and there is appropriate compensation, they will do what the sect arranges.

As for how the sect operates, they don't care.

Of course, that refers to normal times, when everything in a sect is running smoothly, and when there is a Nascent Soul stage cultivator suppressing everything.

Now that there are no Nascent Soul stage cultivators suppressing Qinglian Temple, theoretically, the Temple Master and the Grand Elder have the highest status and the right to command other Golden Core elders.

But in reality, we're all Golden Core cultivators, and I don't have any leverage over you. If you want me to obey your orders, that depends on my mood.

Therefore, when Yi Yang Daoist convened a meeting of elders and Qing Wei Zi proposed to resolutely strike at the Zhou family, it did not immediately garner widespread approval.

Instead, after they explained the potential threat posed by the Zhou family and clarified the Zhou family's situation,

Some elders of the Qinglian Temple, who usually focused on personal cultivation, immediately raised objections to the attack on such a powerful force.

"According to Junior Brother Qingweizi, the Zhou family now has three Golden Core cultivators, a forbidden array protecting the mountain gate, a family with two Golden Core cultivators through marriage, and is valued by the Moon Wheel Sect."

"This kind of power is not a pushover. If we fail to strike and completely enrage them, and we can't wipe out all their Golden Core cultivators, I don't need to elaborate on how serious the consequences would be!"

"Furthermore, the Moon Wheel Sect and the Flame Sun Sect only promised our patriarch that they would protect the territory and the safety of our Green Lotus Temple for two hundred years, but they didn't say they would allow us to attack their vassal forces!"

The Qinglian Temple elder who raised the objection was another mid-stage Golden Core cultivator besides Yi Yang Daoist, Qing Wei Zi, and Shan Yang Zi, named Qing Song Zi.

The remaining late-stage Golden Core cultivator at Qinglian Temple is Qing Su Daoist, who participated in the Southern Expedition against the Dragon Transformation Sect. She is of the same generation as Qing Chen Daoist, and her lifespan is now less than a hundred years!

Upon hearing Qing Songzi's words, Qing Weizi frowned and said with a hint of annoyance, "Senior Brother Qing Songzi, how can you be so short-sighted? Can't you see the Zhou family's potential for growth? If we don't eliminate or expel them now, they will grow even stronger in two hundred years, and then it will be difficult to eliminate them!"

Hearing his accusations, Qing Songzi couldn't help but sneer, "Perhaps I am short-sighted, but I know very well that without a Nascent Soul stage cultivator in charge, our sect would never be able to continue occupying several states!"

After saying that, he said sarcastically, "Junior Brother Qingweizi, you know perfectly well whether what you're doing is protecting the interests and stability of the sect or creating powerful enemies for it!"

"In short, I will not intentionally create powerful enemies among cultivators of the same level. If you want to deal with the Zhou family, you can deal with them yourselves!"

They actually stated directly that they would not participate in dealing with the Zhou family.

"Senior Brother Qing Songzi, you..."

Qingweizi's expression changed, and she looked at Qingsongzi angrily, not expecting him to say such disparaging things in public.

Seeing the two suddenly clashing, Abbot Yi Yang quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Junior Brother Qingwei, please calm down. We are all fellow disciples; we can discuss anything. There's no need to get angry!"

"Yes, yes, please calm down, senior brothers. Let's talk things out."

The others quickly tried to mediate, to prevent the two from arguing further and making everyone lose face.

However, even after everyone tried to persuade him, Qing Songzi showed no sign of changing his mind.

"I'm making this clear: unless our sect's assets or mountain gate are attacked, I will not proactively make enemies or engage in combat with cultivators of the same level!"

After saying this, he closed his eyes, pretending to rest, and stopped talking.

His attitude also influenced some other elders of Qinglian Temple.

Soon, two more early-stage Golden Core cultivators followed suit and expressed their unwillingness to participate in the attack on the Zhou family.

Seeing this, both Yi Yang Dao Ren and Qing Wei Zi's expressions turned extremely unpleasant.

Finally, Daoist Yiyang could only turn his gaze to Daoist Qingsu, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister Qingsu, what is your opinion? How do you view this matter?"

Upon hearing his question, the other Golden Core elders couldn't help but turn their gazes toward Qing Su Dao Gu, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

As the person with the highest cultivation level in Qinglian Temple, Daoist Qingsu's opinion is undoubtedly extremely important.

But then, the Daoist nun Qingsu slightly raised her eyelids, glanced at the other cultivators, and said slowly in a hoarse voice, "At my age, I have long since become indifferent to personal life, death, honor, and disgrace. If the sect ever needs my help, I would gladly give my life!"

At this point, he sighed softly again, "However, Junior Brother Qing Songzi's concerns are not without merit. If we cannot eliminate all the Golden Core cultivators of the Zhou family at once, and if they were to harbor resentment for a hundred years and then cause trouble, I'm afraid the sect will never have a peaceful day!"

Her answer was ambiguous, making it impossible to guess which side she was leaning towards.

Yi Yang Dao Ren and Qing Wei Zi looked at each other, both frowning.

Just then, Qing Su Dao Gu spoke up again, saying, "Junior Brother Yi Yang might as well ask the Moon Wheel Sect first and see what their attitude is. Now that the Zhou family has submitted to them, we have to consider the owner before we beat the dog. We need to find out what their owner thinks first."

Upon hearing this, Qingweizi immediately retorted, "Does our Qinglian Temple need the Moon Wheel Sect to dictate matters within our own territory? If the Moon Wheel Sect doesn't allow us to deal with the Zhou family, are we just going to stand by and watch them grow stronger under their protection, eventually usurping our territory?"

Unexpectedly, Daoist Qingsu nodded in agreement as if it were the most natural thing in the world, saying, "Junior Brother Qingwei is right. If the Moon Wheel Sect doesn't allow us to deal with the Zhou family, then we really can't act openly!"

After saying this, she let out a long sigh and said, "Alas! I know that you junior brothers are all eager to revitalize the sect, turn the tide, and prevent the foundation laid by our founder from declining in your hands!"

"But the reality is that it's very difficult to achieve that anymore! Without a Nascent Soul stage cultivator presiding over the sect, no matter how many Golden Core stage cultivators we have, it's not enough to truly inspire awe and obedience in those Golden Core families from the bottom of their hearts!"

"Instead of waging a major war over things that are destined to be lost, we should seize the remaining hundred-odd years of security protection to accumulate as much foundational resources as possible for the sect, tighten our belts, and hope that another genius with the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage will emerge in the future to revitalize the sect!"

She seemed to have accepted the inevitable decline of Qinglian Temple and seen through everything.

However, neither Qingweizi nor Yiyang Daoren could accept her statement.

Then Qing Weizi spoke up, saying, "Senior Sister Qingsu, you flatter us. Although our sect does not have a Nascent Soul stage cultivator in charge, thanks to the foundation left by Ancestor Qingxiao, we are still the third largest power in Jing Kingdom. Currently, no one can challenge our sect's position!"

"Moreover, if we are to cultivate a Nascent Soul stage cultivator in the future, our sect needs to continue to consolidate its current position and territory. Otherwise, where will we find enough resources to support the expenses of cultivating a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!"

Daoist Yi Yang nodded repeatedly, saying, "Junior Brother Qing Wei Zi is absolutely right. Even though our sect has declined somewhat, we are still the third largest power in Jing Kingdom, and still the ruler of the cultivation world in southern Jing Kingdom!"

Their words quickly drew agreement from many of the elders of Qinglian Temple, who all strongly agreed with their statement.

Because in a sense, what they said was indeed the truth.

The nun Qingsu was aware of this, so she did not try to persuade them.

She simply shook her head slightly and said, "I'll say it again: I'm too old to interfere in the affairs of the sect. Since you, Junior Brother Yi Yang, are now the abbot, then you should make all the decisions!"

Upon hearing her words, Daoist Yi Yang pondered for a moment, then, without further modesty, nodded and said, "Then I, junior brother, will personally go to the Moon Wheel Sect to see what their explanation is, and also invite them to send someone to attend Senior Brother Qingchen's memorial ceremony!"

The nun Qingsu had no objection, and the matter was quickly settled.

On the other hand, after returning to the Zhou family, Zhou Chun also made some arrangements for the family.

Although he felt that Qinglian Temple would not be so crazy as to directly besiege the Zhou family's mountain gate, he still made the worst-case scenario plan and arranged for some promising junior cultivators of the Zhou family to go to the wilderness and the enclave of Le Kingdom, Zhuye Island, to take refuge in case of emergency.

Meanwhile, among the several Purple Mansion stage cultivators of the Zhou family, Zhou Daoyi was first arranged to go to Bamboo Leaf Island in the Kingdom of Le, while Zhou Xinlan and Zhang Liang were arranged to go to the wilderness.

As long as the three Golden Core cultivators of the Zhou family are not wiped out, the Zhou family will still have a chance to rise again.

Zhou Chun was quite confident in his current ability to save his life; even if a late-stage Golden Core cultivator personally took action, they might not be able to save his life.

In order not to cause panic, these transfers were all made using various plausible excuses.

Therefore, even the elders at the Purple Mansion stage only had vague guesses and could not know the truth.

After a tense two-week wait, Su Yunniang suddenly arrived at the Zhou family on behalf of the Moon Wheel Sect.

"We're all family, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer, Aunt Zhengchun. I'm here on behalf of Master Uncle to deliver a message."

"A few days ago, Abbot Yi Yang of Qinglian Temple personally visited our sect's headmaster. I don't know what he and the headmaster discussed, but I do know that the headmaster specifically sent me as an envoy to inform Zheng Chun and your Zhou family."

At this point, Su Yunniang looked at Zhou Chun with a solemn expression and said, "Either the Zhou family directly abandons the sacred land of Jiufeng Ridge, or we send people to Qinglian Temple to conduct three duels to decide the ownership of Jiufeng Ridge!"

Upon hearing her words, Zhou Chun's expression immediately changed, and he couldn't help but look at her and exclaim in a low voice, "Why is this happening! Doesn't the Sect Leader know the importance and significance of Nine Peaks Ridge to my Zhou family?"

I was also slightly angry.

Since joining the Moon Wheel Sect, the Zhou family has been working diligently and fulfilling almost all of the sect's demands, showing far more deference than they had towards the Green Lotus Temple.

Who would have thought that Master Baiyue would make this decision on behalf of the Zhou family without even asking them!

To put it bluntly, this shows a complete disregard for the Zhou family and a complete lack of respect for the several Golden Core cultivators in the Zhou family.

"What? You're angry already?"

Su Yunniang glanced at Zhou Chun, her tone slightly mocking.

This is what makes her personality unlikable; she always likes to use her seniority to tease and ridicule younger people.

Zhou Chun was probably genuinely angry at this point, and after hearing her words, he didn't try to please her as he usually did.

He immediately replied coldly, "This junior dares not hold a grudge against the sect, after all, my Zhou family of several hundred people still depend on the sect for survival!"

After he said that, Su Yunniang no longer dared to act coy.

She looked at him and said softly, "Don't be angry. After all, Qinglian Temple is the third largest power in Jing Kingdom. Moreover, Senior Qingxiao Zhenren made an unparalleled contribution by sacrificing his life for righteousness. All countries and sects owe him a favor."

"The war has only ended a few decades ago, and the achievements of Senior Qingxiao Zhenren are still being spread in various countries. Since Daoist Yiyang, the abbot of Qinglian Temple, has personally come to our sect, even if our headmaster doesn't give him face, he should at least give Senior Qingxiao Zhenren face and grant him some courtesy!"

"Furthermore, your family's Nine Peaks Ridge spiritual land is located within the traditional sphere of influence of the Qinglian Temple. Both morally and logically, the Qinglian Temple has the right to reclaim it at any time!"

It would have been better if she hadn't brought it up, but as soon as she did, Zhou Chun got annoyed.

He immediately said, "What do you mean by 'in terms of both sentiment and reason'? When my Zhou family joined the Moon Wheel Sect, it was precisely to protect this family territory. This was something that Senior Master Baiyue had promised!"

"If we are all destined to lose our family territory in the end, why should we and the Zhou family continue to serve the Moon Wheel Sect? Why not simply move out of Jing Kingdom!"

These words left Su Yunniang speechless.

Finally, all that could be said was, "Master Uncle might have other plans. Zheng Chun, you should follow his instructions for now. Besides, if Master Uncle hadn't persuaded True Person Tianjing to help, that Black Dragon Hall Master of the Dragon Transformation Sect might have already escaped!"

She phrased it somewhat subtly, but what she really meant was to tell Zhou Chun that the Moon Wheel Sect had already saved the Zhou family and him once before.

Zhou Chun fell silent after hearing her words.

After a flurry of thoughts, he could only nod and say, "Alright, Auntie, please tell me about the betting. How does Qinglian Temple want to proceed with the betting?"

This week has been incredibly unlucky. I didn't exercise a lot the first few days because I was rushing to finish my manuscript, and then I went to the hospital. Today it seems like all of this has finally come to a head; my neck is so sore, it hurts even when I sit down. And I only managed to write 4,000 words today!

(End of this chapter)