The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Is Dai Qisi vying to become the leader of the Persian Holy Fire Cult?

even……

She wanted to become the leader of the Ming Cult and then unify the Persian Holy Fire Cult.

You, Dai Qisi, I never imagined you were so beautiful, and so full of dreams!

And this means they've already colluded with the Righteous Alliance?

For a moment, Yin Tianzheng frowned deeply—Dai Qisi? The sect leader? This… Eagle King, remembering Chu Luren's kindness, refrained from refuting anything for the time being.

Just as Yang Xiao was about to speak, Chu Luren spoke first: "By the way, the good news doesn't stop there. You all don't know the whereabouts of Right Envoy Fan, do you?"

Upon hearing Chu Luren mention his sworn brother, Yang Xiao suppressed his other doubts and asked, "Does Alliance Leader Chu have any news about Brother Fan?"

Chu Luren smiled slightly and took out Fan Yao's secret letter...

Chapter 650 The Cult Leader Candidate

After reading Fan Yao's secret letter, Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao were moved to tears, and at the same time, they felt ashamed.

Unexpectedly, while they were vying for power and causing Bright Peak to fall apart, Right Envoy Fan actually ruined his handsome appearance and painstakingly went undercover in the Western Regions. After discovering some of Cheng Kun's movements, he went to the Prince of Ruyang's mansion to become a "suffering ascetic"...

How could Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao not feel ashamed?

"What did Lao Fen lose in his letters, that guy surnamed Yang...?" Zhou Dian asked, his words tumbling out.

Yang Xiao glanced at Yin Tianzheng, then at the Five Wanderers and the Five Elements Flag members, and said, "This matter... is of great importance. Eagle King can take a look, but the Five Elements Flag and the Five Wanderers should each choose a representative!"

"Me!" Zhou Dian stood up abruptly.

He couldn't help but be defiant towards him, then looked at the cold-faced man and said, "Let Leng Qian go and see."

Upon hearing this, Leng Qian glanced at Monk Peng and Taoist Tieguan, who had not objected, before nodding and stepping forward.

The Five Elements Flags are easy to handle; Zhuang Zheng will naturally represent them.

"Don't try to be mysterious!" Zhuang Zheng reminded Yang Xiao, though not too harshly.

Seeing their state, Chu Luren felt that... if they didn't thoroughly elect a leader, they would have to fight each other again in a year or two!

Although Yin Tianzheng has already established himself as independent, Yang Xiao and others trust the character of the Eagle King.

After reading the letter, the three of them were equally moved and embarrassed. Zhou Dian was so eager that he jumped up and down, wanting to see it too.

After a moment of hesitation, Yang Xiao looked at Chu Luren, then at Xiao Zhao, and asked in a deep voice, "Does Right Envoy Fan mean to support... Xiao Zhao as the leader?"

When it came to serious matters, Yang Xiao still addressed him as "Right Envoy Fan".

"What? A good girl? Teaching Chu? Old Fen is... getting single too, just like me, Zhou Dan, hahaha!" Zhou Dian was surprised at first, then burst into laughter.

"Shut up! Right Envoy Fan is not like you," Leng Qian reprimanded him.

“Same here, I support it, I support it!” Zhou Dian probably felt that Right Envoy Fan’s suggestion was also “eccentric” and very much in his style, so he supported it instead.

However, Yang Xiao and the others fell silent for a moment—just by looking at the number of people supporting it, they knew how unreliable this matter was.

Of course, if we go deeper, it's not entirely without merit!

Firstly, in terms of identity, Xiao Zhao is Dai Qisi's daughter. After the misunderstanding with the Purple-Robed Dragon King was resolved, she was considered to have impeccable lineage in the Ming Cult—the Purple-Robed Dragon King was not only the head of the Four Great Protectors, but also Yang Dingtian's adopted daughter.

Moreover, Dai Qisi's other identity has been exposed, which means that... Xiao Zhao's identity has another advantage - just as Chu Luren said, she has the righteous cause of assisting the Holy Fire Sect headquarters in "tracing back to the source"!

The successor of the Holy Maiden is also the successor of the leader of the Church, isn't he? Under Xiao Zhao's leadership, they captured the Persian headquarters. Can this be called an insubordination? This is a rectification of wrongs!

The Ming Cult's upper echelons had more sentimental attachment to the "Sacred Flame" than a genuine religious concept. However, the lower and middle-level followers still felt a sense of belonging to the Sacred Flame Cult, and their sentimental attachment made it difficult for them to directly confront the Persian headquarters.

This is also the main reason why the two sides have not officially broken off relations despite decades of discord.

However, with Xiao Zhao around, the situation is quite different...

Putting aside the issue of identity, in terms of relationships, if Xiao Zhao were to become the leader, at least Dai Qisi and Fan Yao would strongly support her—especially the latter. If her actions were made public, even if Fan Yao wanted to become the leader himself, most of the brothers would probably accept it.

Outside of the Ming Cult, there's also Xiao Zhao and Chu Tai Sui...

Previously, their main discussion was about the Righteous Alliance. Yang Xiao was not interested in joining the Righteous Alliance, but the Five Elements Flag had already softened its stance. The Five Wanderers usually contradicted Yang Xiao, and the Eagle King strongly supported them. Although they had already established their own independent forces, since the Eagle King said he would stand with Bright Peak, he naturally had a say in the matter.

So in the end, Yang Xiao also backed down...

You can join the Righteous Alliance, but the Righteous Alliance has a great influence on the Ming Cult, and the Ming Cult has a great influence on the Righteous Alliance. We need to discuss this with Chu Taisui again.

If it's something like the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, where you have to respect the "Alliance Leader's Command Flag" and there's a clear hierarchy, then you should refrain from speaking in respect as soon as possible!

The others shared the same opinion, since they didn't even submit to the Holy Fire Sect's headquarters, so how could they possibly find a Supreme Being for themselves?

Considering this, the relationship between Xiao Zhao and Chu Tai Sui is... rather intriguing.

On the positive side, this relationship could make the environment more harmonious after the Ming Cult joins the alliance. On the negative side, if Xiao Zhao wanted to sell herself and the Ming Cult out of the alliance... it wouldn't be a big problem! They could just remove the leader then!

This is also Xiao Zhao's third advantage—weakness.

Being weak has its advantages. Now, to elect a leader that everyone supports, besides the essential condition of identity, the leader must either be so strong that everyone has nothing to say, or have made such great contributions to the Ming Cult that no one can say anything. If neither of these can be achieved, then the best thing is... to be so weak that people feel safe.

If Xiao Zhao were the leader, their sense of being "led" would be very weak; she would be more like a nominal leader, guiding everyone in discussing and handling matters.

If it were Yang Xiao, everyone would definitely be unhappy about being controlled by him. Even if Yang Xiao said some nice things, everyone would still feel awkward, not to mention that Yang Xiao doesn't know how to say nice things.

But if Xiao Zhao were sitting there, no one would feel like they were being controlled.

"Instead of continuing this struggle, why not let Xiao Zhao... no, let Miss Han Zhao become our leader!" Zhuang Zheng was the first to stand up and support this after Zhou Dian.

As Zhuang Zheng spoke, he glanced at Yang Xiao. Since Zhuang Zheng supported it, the Five Elements Flags naturally supported it as well.

Having read Fan Yao's secret letter, Leng Qian then said to the other three wandering warriors, "Right Envoy Fan, you have foresight. I support you."

The other three were confused, but they did not refute Leng Qian's words for the time being.

Yin Tianzheng then said to Wei Yixiao, "Fourth Brother Wei, Xiao Zhao is the daughter of Dai Qisi, so she is our junior. Besides, with Right Envoy Fan as guarantor, what are you still hesitating about?"

The sibling relationship among the Four Dharma Kings is quite complicated. The four of them originally swore brotherhood according to their age, but when it came to ranking the Dharma Kings, the Purple-Robed Dragon King was the youngest but was actually the head of the Four Dharma Kings because of her merit in fighting on behalf of Yang Dingtian, and the other three older brothers were too embarrassed to compete with her.

Normally, Dai Qisi would call them "Second Brother Yin," "Third Brother Xie," and "Fourth Brother Wei," while they would call her "Sister." Later, when Dai Qisi married Han Qianye, only Xie Xun changed his address to "Madam Han" because he blessed and approved of their marriage. After that, the others didn't have much contact with Dai Qisi and didn't change their address.

“This…Left Envoy Yang, I think it’s not a bad idea either.” Wei Yixiao glanced at Xiao Zhao, then at Chu Luren out of the corner of his eye, before speaking to Yang Xiao.

After pondering for a moment, Yang Xiao asked, "Han Zhao, Right Envoy Fan said... you have a great talent for the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth'?"

"I wouldn't presume to call myself a talent, but... under Brother Chu's guidance, I've already mastered the first two levels," Xiao Zhao said after exchanging a glance with Chu Luren.

Yang Xiao: !!!

The first two floors?

That's it?

I've only cultivated the first two levels!

Chapter 651 Joining the Ming Cult

"You've mastered the second level?" Yang Xiao asked, staring at Xiao Zhao.

"Yang Zuochi has only mastered the second stage of the technique, hasn't he, Yang Zuochi?" Zhou Dian said, jumping up and down, making it unclear whether he was pretending to be unsure!

Yang Xiao ignored him and instead confirmed with Xiao Zhao, "Are you... sure it's the second level? Even if you've just started cultivating the second level, you still need to thoroughly understand the first level. Even a person with ordinary talent would need seven years of practice. Didn't you just get this 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth'?"

“That’s right. I dare not hide it from Left Envoy Yang. Xiao Zhao’s talent is limited, and she is only of average appearance. Fortunately, Brother Chu has guided me, which is why I have made such rapid progress.” Xiao Zhao said, lowering her head slightly and blushing.

But then she remembered what Brother Chu had just said about "planting a Dao embryo," and how she had been thinking all sorts of random thoughts...

Xiao Zhao added, "I have thoroughly grasped the second level, but I still haven't figured out the third level. I'm sorry to have failed Brother Chu's guidance."

Yang Xiao stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, as if he had something to say but was unsure whether he should.

"Left Envoy Yang has been immersed in the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth' for a long time. Could you please give me some pointers?" Xiao Zhao knew that Yang Xiao wanted to question her, so she extended her hand in a gesture of doubt.

"Alright! Then... Left Envoy, let's test your Qiankun Great Shift!" Yang Xiao said, pushing Xiao Zhao from a distance.

At this moment, Yang Xiao was still sitting in the main seat, but he no longer referred to himself as "Acting Leader". It was clear that they had made concessions to each other during their previous discussions.

Of course, Yang Xiao did not use his full strength against Xiao Zhao. To be precise, he didn't use any strength at all. For Yang Xiao, it was just a feint.

After all, no matter how high one's mastery of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" is, when guiding and returning the opponent's force, one still needs to rely on one's own internal strength. In the original work, when Zhang Wuji first faced A'er, he was already unable to stick to the opponent's force because of the opponent's profound internal strength and powerful external skills.

The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth is better suited for fighting multiple opponents, but it is not as effective when the weak are fighting the strong, which is contrary to the essence of Tai Chi.

The true Tai Chi has reached the point where it can instantly "compensate" for the opponent's force to achieve control, and can completely defeat the strong with the weak. However, when fighting against multiple opponents, it does not stand out because the amount of calculation required increases significantly.

If Yang Xiao were to use his full strength, Xiao Zhao, with her limited internal energy, even if she had cultivated it to the fifth level, would at most only be able to withstand one move without dying.

However, this palm strike, which had just reached Xiao Zhao's palm, was immediately deflected by her. Yang Xiao, instead of adding more force, used the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to push the palm strike back...

Xiao Zhao and Yang Xiao were standing and sitting several feet apart, their palms facing each other, and there seemed to be some kind of force locked in a stalemate in the void.

A moment later, with a "plop" sound, Xiao Zhao immediately stopped and was pushed back two or three steps by the remaining force. At the same time, it was as if a wind blew around Yang Xiao, and although he was sitting, his clothes fluttered.

"Left Envoy Yang's Great Shift of Heaven and Earth has reached the third level, and he is about to reach the level of the previous leaders of the sect, including the leader of the sect. Thank you for your guidance, Left Envoy Yang," Xiao Zhao said hurriedly.

Yang Xiao sighed, "You don't need to cover for me, I lost! In terms of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth alone, you are closer to the third level!"

Indeed, the two had just exchanged palm strikes using the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth. After a stalemate, Yang Xiao was the first to give in and was pushed back by Xiao Zhao's palm strike.

At this moment, Xiao Zhao, fearing to embarrass him, stopped the Qiankun Great Shift, and was then pushed backward by the remaining force.

“Good! This little girl has an extraordinary talent for the Great Qigong, she’s definitely a good person to teach!” Zhou Dian immediately said.

If he hadn't been looking at Yang Xiao and laughing the whole time he was speaking, Chu Luren would have really thought that Zhou Dian was supporting Xiao Zhao—now it seems that he was more interested in seeing Yang Xiao make a fool of himself.

"Yang Zuochi's daughter's maidservant has turned into a teacher's pestle. Yang Zuochi won't be unhappy, will he?" Zhou Dian grinned, looking extremely pleased.

"It's too early for Miss Han Zhao to become the leader. Whether it's the dying wish of Leader Yang or the rules of our sect, the one who holds the Sacred Flame Token is the leader. However... it's not impossible for Miss Han Zhao to serve as the acting leader first. After that, we'll find the Lion King and then make other plans." Yang Xiao ignored Zhou Dian and looked at Xiao Zhao and Chu Luren as he spoke.

Yang Xiao didn't mention making Xie Xun the acting leader—after all, times have changed. If it were before the great upheaval in Xie Xun's family, then the dying wish of the leader would have been appropriate. But now... times have changed, and things are not the same. We can't be so stubborn, can we?

The one who retrieves the Sacred Flame Token will become the leader of the Ming Cult, a goal that no one in the Ming Cult would oppose, and one that has been the long-cherished wish of generations.

Before this, even Yang Xiao only referred to himself as the acting leader.

As Yang Xiao spoke, he looked at the Eagle King and the Bat King, first seeking their opinions.

“What Left Envoy Yang said is not fair. Xiao Zhao is just a young girl, and her temperament is weak. If she ‘makes further plans,’ the Ming Cult will be in chaos again in the future, and it will be over in no time!” Chu Luren said bluntly at this moment.

What does "make further plans" mean?

Does this mean that you'll fight over the slightest dissatisfaction?