: Inside the Sect

Ning Zhuo spoke again to Qing Chi, "Miss Qing Chi, you might as well walk around more. This cave dwelling is quite spacious, with more than five inner chambers. You can choose one to stay in. Staying inside the Ten Thousand Miles Roaming Dragon all the time can get rather dull."

Qing Chi gave an "Oh," stared intently at Ning Zhuo for three breaths, then lowered her head and walked away.

Seeing her dazed and obedient demeanor, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but recall her liveliness before losing her memory. His heart filled with both guilt and pity, leaving him with a complex mix of emotions.

Sun Lingtong finished scouting the area and returned to tell Ning Zhuo that he hadn't found anything suspicious. He then asked Ning Zhuo, "When do we start digging into the mountain to find the hidden teleportation chamber your mother left behind?"

This posed a bit of a problem.

The cave dwelling Meng Yaoyin had rented back then wasn't this Stone Spring Cave Dwelling. The one she originally chose had long been occupied by someone else.

For Ning Zhuo and his companions to locate a hidden teleportation stone chamber within the massive mountain wouldn't be easy.

That's because the mountain interior also contained a grand formation.

To bypass the formation and avoid drawing others' attention while searching for the teleportation array would undoubtedly take some time.

"Fortunately, Mother left me a spell formula. As long as I get within a hundred zhang, I'll sense it," Ning Zhuo sighed.

Sun Lingtong rolled up his sleeves, "The sooner we do this kind of thing, the better. Let's start digging now!"

"Sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting," Ning Zhuo pondered aloud. "We should first investigate thoroughly to find out who our neighbors are and what exactly the formations here entail."

There were quite a few cave dwellings within this mountain peak. If there happened to be any capable individuals among them who noticed Ning Zhuo's group's activities, it would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary complications.

The formations were also key. Understanding them would allow for targeted actions; otherwise, they wouldn't dare make any significant moves in their探测.

Sun Lingtong patted his chest, "Alright then. I'll start by探测 the formations here."

He came from the Bukong Gate, so探测 formations was his specialty.

His insight and mastery in formations far surpassed Ning Zhuo's.

Most importantly, he himself was extremely trustworthy.

"Then I'll trouble you, boss," Ning Zhuo said.

Sun Lingtong waved his hand, "No need to be so polite with me." With that, he turned and left, heading deep into the cave dwelling to get to work.

Having temporarily settled his companions, Ning Zhuo went to the cultivation room, took out a meditation mat, and sat down cross-legged.

However, he wasn't starting his cultivation. Instead, he took out an information jade slip and began studying it.

Earlier, he had used his spiritual sense to record the information, memorizing most of it clearly, but he lacked analysis and reflection.

As he delved deeper, the once blurry situation in Ning Zhuo's mind began to thin out, like dense fog under sunlight.

"Where there are people, there are conflicts," Ning Zhuo sighed.

To summarize the structure of the Wanxiang Sect simply: eight peaks and sixteen halls.

The eight main peaks and sixteen halls together formed this super-sized framework.

The eight main peaks were: Heavy Formation Peak, Ten Thousand Beasts Peak, Danxia Peak, Purple Thunder Peak, Sword Chime Peak, Hundred Herbs Peak, Fuyao Peak, and Flowing Clouds Peak.

The sixteen halls included: External Affairs Hall, Internal Affairs Hall, General Affairs Hall, Transmission Hall, Martial Training Hall, Evil-Slaying Hall, Alchemy Hall, Artifact Refining Hall, Formation Setting Hall, Talisman Making Hall, Commerce Hall, Spirit Plant Hall, Beast Taming Hall, Military Command Hall, Spirit Chef Hall, and Medical Arts Hall.

The current sect leader of the Wanxiang Sect was named Dong Chen, who was also the peak master of Heavy Formation Peak.

Sect leader elections in the Wanxiang Sect were held once every hundred years, with the masters of the eight main peaks all being candidates.

As for how to become one of the eight peak masters, it relied on one's own strength to withstand numerous challenges and continuously occupy one of the eight main peaks.

This revealed the Wanxiang Sect's unusual approach to managing the sect!

It was important to know that the Wanxiang Sect widely opened its doors, emphasizing low entry barriers. They even distributed the first few s of their foundational techniques freely for others to cultivate.

If a cultivator joined the Wanxiang Sect and had sufficient strength and connections, they could occupy one of the main peaks and become a peak master.

This was equivalent to obtaining eligibility for the sect leader election, with the potential to become the leader of the Wanxiang Sect!

For the vast majority of forces and organizations, this was unimaginable—the path to promotion led directly to the top, with theoretically no upper limit to development within the sect.

"So, the eight main peaks are the eight most powerful interest groups within the Wanxiang Sect."

"And the daily affairs and organizational operations of the Wanxiang Sect are carried out through the sixteen halls."

"Cultivators from the eight main peaks join these halls and hold positions within them, which means the eight main peaks are extending their influence into the sect's authority."

Among the eight peaks, they were divided into the old four peaks and the new four peaks.

Heavy Formation Peak, Ten Thousand Beasts Peak, Danxia Peak, and Purple Thunder Peak were the old four peaks. Sword Chime Peak, Hundred Herbs Peak, Fuyao Peak, and Flowing Clouds Peak were the new four peaks.

The reason for this distinction was that the former four peaks had remained unchanged through the ages. The latter four peaks often rotated, with forces being overthrown and the peaks changing banners not being uncommon.

This was because the Wanxiang Sect had a vast number of members. The eight main peaks selected the best, with a huge base filling the sect.

Not all members outside the main peaks were weak. Many outstanding individuals preferred to act alone, or had unspeakable difficulties, or had offended others for various reasons, and thus remained outside the eight main peaks.

These people often got to know each other, established connections, and frequently formed groups.

If these groups developed and grew to a certain extent, they had the potential to challenge the eight main peaks. Therefore, the reason the new four peaks changed owners was due to this aspect.

Of course, this method of challenging the main peaks wasn't cruel or bloody; the Wanxiang Sect's limited sect rules strictly governed this process.

The Wanxiang Sect maintained vitality through competition between the strong and the weak, without fighting to the death or engaging in mutual slaughter.

People like Wen Ruanyu, even as a Golden Core true disciple, weren't part of the eight main peaks. She held a long-term mission from the External Affairs Hall, stationed year-round in White Paper Immortal City.

Meng Yaoyin was also in this category. If not for this, her cave dwelling wouldn't have been on the small mountain peak opposite Ning Zhuo's.

Yang Sanyan, however, was different; he belonged to a main peak. After all, he possessed superior talent and an arrogant demeanor. He was spotted and selected while still in the Qi Refining stage.

The information jade slip also mentioned that the weakest among the eight main peaks was Flowing Clouds Peak. It didn't even have a peak master yet; the force currently occupying the main peak wasn't large, relying mainly on extensive connections. To become a peak master, there were assessments. One had to pass the assessment to serve as peak master.

Reading this, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but wonder: "If Flowing Clouds Peak is the weakest among the eight main peaks, then how do the other seven compare in strength?"

This point wasn't addressed in the information jade slip.

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but think: "Would the more expensive information jade slips explain this?"

"Most likely not," he continued to ponder, answering his own question.

Ning Zhuo wasn't an ordinary genius. During over a decade of living in concealment, the object he contemplated the most was the City Lord's Manor.

To deal with his future great enemy, he often put himself in their shoes, assuming he was the City Lord's Manor, then analyzing and揣度ing every action and policy of the City Lord's Manor.

The one who knows you best is often your enemy!

After such a long time, Ning Zhuo naturally developed the perspective and vision of a ruler.

If he were the Wanxiang Sect, he would never allow the information jade slips produced by his own sect to rank the eight main peaks in order of strength. That would be asking for trouble, inciting internal conflict.

"But relative strengths and weaknesses certainly exist."

"The information doesn't state it explicitly, but I can推算 it and obtain it easily."

Thinking this, Ning Zhuo's spiritual sense paused on a section of the information.

It contained identity information about the main appointed members of the sixteen halls.

The chief hall master of the External Affairs Hall, Xiang Ji, was from Heavy Formation Peak. Chen Xuan of the Internal Affairs Hall was also from Heavy Formation Peak.

Ning Zhuo's eyes narrowed slightly: "External and Internal Affairs are both controlled by Heavy Formation Peak, meaning the sect leader's faction. This shows Dong Chen's control over the Wanxiang Sect is quite high."

The hall master of the General Affairs Hall, Zhao Qian, was from Ten Thousand Beasts Peak. This hall was primarily responsible for collecting cultivation resources, quite fundamental and important, but it was a tough, grinding job.

The chief hall master of the Alchemy Hall, Wang Yan, was from Danxia Peak.

The Formation Setting Hall and Talisman Making Hall were controlled by Heavy Formation Peak and Danxia Peak respectively.

"Among the top three of the four cultivation arts, they are within Heavy Formation Peak and Danxia Peak. This shows that the two strongest forces within the Wanxiang Sect should be these two."

Ning Zhuo looked further and found that Ten Thousand Beasts Peak controlled the Beast Taming Hall, which also matched their expertise.

"Huh? What about Purple Thunder Peak?" Ning Zhuo was slightly startled, making a surprising discovery.

The important halls among the sixteen were almost all held by Heavy Formation Peak, Danxia Peak, and Ten Thousand Beasts Peak. Purple Thunder Peak, one of the old four peaks, only held real power in the Medical Arts Hall.

This discovery was significant and immediately drew Ning Zhuo's attention!

In theory, the old four peaks were extremely powerful internal forces within the sect. Otherwise, they wouldn't have occupied a main peak for years, withstanding all challenges from newcomers without collapsing.

"The new four peaks represent the nouveaux riches, while the old four peaks are the Wanxiang Sect's established forces. Logically, Purple Thunder Peak shouldn't have only this little real power."

"This could mean that Purple Thunder Peak has hidden底蕴 supporting it. Or possibly..."

"Purple Thunder Peak has declined and is on the verge of failure, at a critical moment of being driven out of the main peak."

If it was the latter possibility, then the problem was huge.

Thoughts raced like lightning in Ning Zhuo's mind: "This represents a shift between old and new, which will become a major trend within the sect!"

"Can I find opportunities in this to gain some benefits?"

The external environment of the Wanxiang Sect was very stable. It was the largest super sect in Feiyun Kingdom, far surpassing the second place. Throughout the kingdom, no sect could rival it.

If such a huge internal upheaval occurred within the Wanxiang Sect, it would inevitably create countless opportunities.

Ning Zhuo had fought his way up from the bottom; he knew all too well how precious such opportunities were.

"I might even be able to take this chance to elevate my life to the next level."

Just as he was thinking this, Chef Lao's voice came from outside the door: "Young master, the spirit food is ready."

"Alright, coming," Ning Zhuo replied.

He held the jade slip, about to put it into his storage belt, when he suddenly thought: "The information jade slip clearly states that Flowing Clouds Peak is the weakest among the eight main peaks. This is obviously guiding others that if they want to challenge a main peak, their first choice should be Flowing Clouds Peak. Then what about Purple Thunder Peak?"

"Could the production of this information jade slip involve manipulation by the Purple Thunder Peak faction?"

The four of them gathered around the stone table and began eating together.

Sun Lingtong looked travel-worn;探测 formations also involved digging tunnels, though he wouldn't go deep into the mountain interior.

Qing Chi was absent-minded, occasionally glancing up at Ning Zhuo.

Chef Lao also looked at Ning Zhuo: "Young master, is the food to your taste?"

His attitude was worlds apart from when he was in the Virility Enhancement Yard, the deciding factor being that Ning Zhuo had saved his life.

Ning Zhuo took a bite and immediately praised it, then asked curiously: "Chef Lao, even your ordinary spirit food is delicious. Why did you make those dark dishes?"

Chef Lao shook his head: "Dark cuisine is my pursuit. But since I'm following you, young master, of course I'll cook according to your taste."

Ning Zhuo said seriously: "Whether it tastes delicious really isn't important. Chef Lao, you might as well go all out and make dark cuisine to help me progress faster. Of course, don't focus on soul growth. You can support physical cultivation more in this regard."

Chef Lao smiled wryly: "Young Master Ning, you may not know. There are two inconveniences here."

"First, my dark cuisine mostly focuses on ghost attributes. Dishes that enhance soul foundation are what I'm best at. In terms of physical cultivation, I can only say I'm quite average."

"Second, the chief hall master of the Wanxiang Sect's Spirit Chef Hall, Gan Douding, is a fervent supporter of the bright cuisine faction, advocating for dishes that are complete in color, aroma, and taste, emphasizing the enjoyable experience during consumption. She despises the dark cuisine faction the most."

"If this old man is discovered making dark cuisine within the Wanxiang Sect... being expelled from the sect wouldn't matter much to me. I'm just worried it would bring you great trouble, young master."

Ning Zhuo immediately recalled that the information jade slip did describe Gan Douding's identity and faction.

"So that's how it is," Ning Zhuo nodded. "We've just arrived here; it's better to be cautious and not unnecessarily make enemies."

Just as they were speaking, a cold shout suddenly came from the cave dwelling entrance: "People of Stone Spring Cave Dwelling, come out!"

Ning Zhuo and his companions immediately looked at each other.

Ning Zhuo didn't move. Instead, he took out his token, infused it with magic power, and created an illusion in the air.

The illusion showed three cultivators. The leader was at the Foundation Establishment stage, his peak aura clearly visible. The other two attendants were at Qi Refining stage.

Ning Zhuo's voice transmitted outside the cave: "Who are you, and what is your intention?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator laughed loudly: "Listen well, this mountain has been chosen by my master. He prefers tranquility, so all the riff-raff here are to be驱逐ed."

"Before you came, we've already persuaded over a dozen newcomers to leave."

"Ignorance is no crime. Leave now, and I'll give you some spirit stones as compensation. If you refuse, my master is a respectable Golden Core cultivator and won't bully the weak. But among us attendants, there are twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators. You can expect to see us in the Martial Training Hall!"

Ning Zhuo fell silent.

Qing Chi gritted her teeth, showing indignation.

Chef Lao looked at Ning Zhuo with concern: "Young master..."

Sun Lingtong chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo remained silent for a moment, then spoke again: "You want to give me spirit stones? How much?"

The visitor showed a trace of a contemptuous smile: "I'll give you ten mid-grade spirit stones! You can go to the Internal Affairs Hall and get your rent refunded. There's still plenty of time for that."

Ning Zhuo laughed heartily: "Then I thank you, sir."

He agreed immediately.

(End of )