Chapter 159 Preaching

Urged by Gong Heming’s anxious state of mind, nearly a hundred cultivators above the rank of deputy hall master of Longwhale Island quickly gathered.

Due to the large number of people, Fang Yexu addressed the crowd of Longwhale Island in the courtyard, "I am the Hall Master of the Information Hall of the Western Territory Government, ordered to come to Longwhale Island to investigate the murder of Island Master Meng Hetang!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, gasps of astonishment rose and fell within the courtyard. Several individuals wore panicked expressions in their eyes, yet deliberately feigned even louder exclamations of surprise.

Liu Junhuai pulled Gong Heming aside to his side and whispered to him the exact locations of these individuals. Gong Heming expressed his gratitude with a thankful nod, his gaze instantly turning stern and fierce.

Fang Yexu pressed both hands downward, silencing the chaotic murmurs of the cultivators, "Upon investigation, it has been verified that Island Master Meng Hetang was murdered by Longwhale Island's Deputy Island Master Che Shangguan. Che Shangguan directed his subordinates to administer a poison known as Dream Rakshasa to Meng Hetang over a long period, ultimately causing the Island Master to die from the poison day before yesterday. In this investigation, because Great Elder Gong Heming of Longwhale Island made tremendous contributions and played a pivotal role in clearing the late Island Master's name, the Western Territory Government has decided to temporarily appoint Elder Gong Heming to succeed as the Island Master of Longwhale Island, effective immediately! It is our hope that all cultivators of Longwhale Island will actively cooperate and quickly guide Longwhale Island back onto the right track!"

As his voice trailed off, after a brief moment of silence, enthusiastic applause erupted.

No kidding around—this Hall Master Fang possessed the cultivation base of the late Integration Realm. If someone dared not applaud his words, a single finger would be enough to crush you to death!

As for whether they were willing in their hearts, that was a matter for the future. Didn't they hear Hall Master Fang say that Gong Heming was merely acting in an interim capacity?

Many cultivators thought along these lines, so on the surface, the announcement did not cause much of a stir.

At this moment, Gong Heming wore an arrogant and self-important expression. The half-inch white beard beneath his jaw cooperated by trembling slightly, and his eyes clearly revealed a glint characteristic of those in a position of authority.

Liu Junhuai snickered inwardly to himself. This old lecher's role transition was truly swift. That hypocritical yet majestic demeanor changed as fast as flipping a face in a performance, leaving Liu Junhuai to sigh in self-admitted inferiority.

Following Gong Heming’s deeply heartfelt acceptance speech, this temporary meeting successfully concluded amidst a chorus of genuine and feigned congratulations. Few people could now remember the tragic state in which the late Island Master Meng had died; many were already anticipating the fine wine and delicacies to follow the new Island Master's inauguration ceremony.

At midnight, the group boarded the airships and quietly embarked on their journey back to the Myriad Forms Sect.

Liu Junhuai personally piloted the River of Stars. His divine sense remained active the entire time, cautiously scanning the void ahead to guard against any halfway ambush by the Blood-Slaying Alliance.

Fortunately, three hours later, all three airships safely arrived at the Myriad Forms Sect, marking the successful and satisfactory conclusion of this mission.

Upon returning to the main hall of the Myriad Forms Sect, Liu Junhuai found the three Supreme Elders seated together, discussing something amongst themselves.

Liu Junhuai's arrival had long been detected by the three of them, so no one looked surprised when he walked in and took a seat.

Snatching up a cup of wine from the table and pouring it down his throat, Liu Junhuai asked, "Why are you three seniors gathering here so late at night to discuss matters? Has something happened within the Myriad Forms Sect?"

Fang Keyin smiled and said, "Brother Qian is a Tier 6 Array Master. He has been thinking about setting up a grand defensive array for the Myriad Forms Sect, and we have been discussing it here for several hours!"

Liu Junhuai said with delight, "Uncle Qian is an Array Master as well? That is simply wonderful! I have always wanted to set up a formation, but unfortunately, I am only a Tier 4 Array Master, and the previous sect-protecting array of Swallow Floating Palace was far too rudimentary."

Qian Chongyi looked at Liu Junhuai in astonishment. "Oh? Junhuai is an Array Master as well? I heard that you are an alchemist; is there anything you cannot do?"

"That's about it! I know a little bit of everything, just nothing to perfection. Uncle Qian being a Tier 6 Array Master can be considered quite high-ranking even in the Western Territory. I happen to have a few array diagrams on hand, but unfortunately, I am unable to set them up!" Liu Junhuai had instructed his old housekeeper to select several suitable mountain-guarding array diagrams, and he produced them as he spoke.

"That is wonderful! The three of us were just discussing blueprints, and you pull out array diagrams right here. It seems Heaven itself recognizes you as the true master of the Myriad Forms Sect. Hahaha..." Qian Chongyi was pleasantly surprised.

The three seniors examined the array diagrams one by one. After careful deliberation, they finally selected one particular diagram from the collection.

"Comparatively speaking, while this Seven-Snail Mountain Array is not the highest-grade among these diagrams, it is sturdy, practical, and highly applicable. To breach this grand array without the cultivation of the Integration Realm is simply impossible! Furthermore, its greatest feature is that this mountain-guarding array possesses the ability to gather spiritual energy. Spiritual energy in the Western Territory is barren, but with the Seven-Snail Mountain Array, the Myriad Forms Sect will transform into a veritable holy land for cultivation! The only drawback is the massive consumption of spirit stones. I wonder if our Myriad Forms Sect has the capability to bear such a cost?" Qian Chongyi looked at Liu Junhuai with a trace of anticipation in his tone.

Liu Yanshan chuckled, "Brother Qian, other things might be hard to say, but when it comes to spirit stones, our Myriad Forms Sect has them in inexhaustible abundance. If spirit stones are the only issue, then there is no issue at all."

Liu Junhuai also smiled and nodded. "Uncle Qian, the matter of spirit stones is not a problem. Senior Sister Sitong and I can also refine the array flags. As long as we can set up the array as soon as possible, the two of us can begin refining them tonight."

Qian Chongyi waved his hand dismissively. "As long as you provide sufficient spirit stones, the rest can be left to us three old fellows to prepare. You've captured quite a few people this time, haven't you? You should head over to the Sect Alliance; leave this place to us. Within three days, the skies above the Myriad Forms Sect will transform into an entirely different realm!"

"To have an elder at home is like having a living treasure. It seems the ancients did not deceive me! Now that I have three elders, I have three treasures! Hahaha..." Liu Junhuai was carefree and joyful, feeling thoroughly relaxed and immensely refreshed in his heart.

After briefly recounting his trip to Longwhale Island, Liu Junhuai made his way to the Sect Alliance.

Compared to the Myriad Forms Sect, the Sect Alliance was a scene of bustling activity. To prevent the leakage of information to the greatest extent possible, the disciples entering and exiting the Sect Alliance were still those trusted individuals selected from various sects. Therefore, while the number of investigative personnel had not increased, the number of captured suspects had multiplied exponentially, driving even the two hall masters to roll up their sleeves and join the front lines.

After inspecting various interrogation rooms, Liu Junhuai finally entered the cell housing the two assassins known as the Kings of the Dark Night.

This pair of senior martial brother and junior martial sister appeared utterly haggard. Seeing Liu Junhuai enter, a flicker of dread crossed their eyes.

Perhaps the one who regretted it most was the senior martial brother. His junior martial sister's terror of Liu Junhuai had long echoed in his ears, yet he had persistently refused to heed her warnings. He never expected that when Liu Junhuai finally appeared before them, the two of them would possess virtually no ability to resist. This young sect master was indeed terrifying beyond measure.

During a dozen years of a killer's career, even if he encountered early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators on par with Liu Junhuai, he could have smoothly escaped. Yet under Liu Junhuai's hand, they hadn't even managed to dodge a single move—and it was a single move that instantly killed two late-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Liu Junhuai gestured for the interrogators to leave, and looking at the two of them, he said indifferently, "I wonder what goes on in your minds to lead you to pursue such a dead-end occupation. For a cultivator to reach the late Golden Core stage is no easy feat; at such a realm, you no longer need to worry about material wealth. Can any of you tell me what your inner thoughts actually are?"

The senior martial brother, Jiao Yuncan, lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before speaking. "No one starts out in this line of work willingly! Both of us had unavoidable hardships. But once one wades into these muddy waters, wanting to extract oneself becomes exceedingly difficult. In truth, most of the time we had plenty of leisure; we were regularly supplied with spirit stones and cultivation resources, allowing us to spend vast amounts of time on our cultivation. The cultivation world is inherently a place of the jungle law, where the strong prey on the weak. Right and wrong, good and evil have never had clear boundaries in the cultivation world. Someone like Sect Master Liu who loves to preach is truly a rarity; I suppose this is simply what you self-proclaimed righteous people feel obliged to do!"

Liu Junhuai smiled faintly. "First of all, your disdainful tone merely demonstrates your self-righteousness. Building your own happiness upon the suffering of others—that is the evaluation standard of right and wrong you speak of! Is it preaching to say that there are things a person ought to do and things they ought not to do? If you were a peerless overlord, I would admire you! Because beneath the feet of every successful person lie mountains of corpses.

"However, being the running dogs of an overlord is entirely contemptible, because you have lost the foundational heart of a cultivator! You do not know why you cultivate, nor why you live. Ever since you stepped onto this path, it has already been destined that you no longer have a future, and your footsteps are doomed to halt permanently in the cultivation world.

"Furthermore, you are merely content with the food and clothing of the present moment, thereby losing the qualification to continuously progress. Even if you diligently cultivate, your state of mind has already quietly reinforced the barrier to your next breakthrough. The higher your cultivation level rises, the harder that barrier becomes to surpass, because you have already degenerated into the lowest-grade cultivators in the cultivation world!"

Jiao Yuncan's expression shifted from nonchalant to righteous indignation. "Isn't this still preaching? Although we have now become your prisoners, as cultivators, we will not allow you to humiliate us in such a manner! Killing is merely our means of survival; your kind of trampling and belittling shows that Sect Master Liu's preaching methods are no more sophisticated than anyone else's."

Liu Junhuai stared coldly at Jiao Yuncan, his tone remaining steady. "Means of survival? And 'merely' at that? First of all, you violated the survival laws of the cultivation world. No matter how powerful the influence of the Blood-Slaying Alliance is, it cannot oppose the entire cultivation world. Mutual restraint is the normal rule of survival. Violating natural laws is an act that will incur heavenly condemnation!

"Indeed, killing is a means of survival in the cultivation world, but once the scope of such killing exceeds the framework of survival laws, one will be attacked by all! Yet you self-important assassins have unwittingly degenerated into someone else's hired guns without even realizing it. Even your leader, and even the Alliance Master of the Blood-Slaying Alliance, are merely weapons controlled by others to kill! And in the end? Your lives are sacrificed to achieve the ascension of the mastermind behind the scenes."

Ye Mei, who had remained silent for a long time, interjected, "Then what does Sect Master Liu think we sacrificed? Our lives? No one is foolish enough to give away their lives in vain. If not for you this time, the two of us would have killed Che Shangguan and flown far away. I admit we were guns in someone else's hands, but when truly facing a life-and-death crisis, not many people would willingly resign themselves to fate."

Liu Junhuai smiled. "Do you always look at problems so superficially? Let's leave aside whether you could have escaped or not. If you could cultivate to the Deity Transformation stage, you would be able to feel it: your divine soul is directly connected to your cultivation of virtue. Boundless virtue leads to boundless realms. The more good deeds your divine soul performs and the wider the virtue you accumulate, the more informational support your divine soul receives from the natural world. With actions such as yours, what virtue do you possess? Even if you managed to barely cultivate to the Deity Transformation stage, you would stop right there forever!"