Chapter 204: Factional Strife

Han Li stared at the line of simple red characters, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

This mission had no explanation at all. Could he simply claim the five thousand merit points by cultivating the True Word Wheel Sutra to the second level?

Although this mission might be extremely difficult for others in the Candle Dragon Sect, given how smoothly he had been cultivating this technique, opening the twelve immortal apertures on his body and advancing to the second level did not seem like an unattainable goal.

The five thousand merit points were tempting, but if he accepted the mission, it would likely bring endless trouble. At the very least, he would no longer be able to cultivate quietly in the Candle Dragon Sect as he wished.

Moreover, having successfully opened two immortal apertures and condensed four time dao patterns in just a few years was too astonishing, and he was even more unwilling to let others know.

With this thought, the greed in Han Li's heart dissipated instantly, and he shifted his gaze away from this mission.

After a quick scan of the remaining red missions, he turned his attention back to the white missions and began browsing rapidly.

Although the missions here were densely packed, thanks to Qi Liang's earlier reminder, he quickly found the recruitment mission issued by Vice Dao Master Xiong Shan, with a reward of five hundred merit points.

"What do you think? Not a bad mission, right?" Qi Liang had come over at some point and said with a smile.

"It is indeed as Elder Qi described." Han Li nodded noncommittally.

"In that case, let's accept the mission quickly. I heard from those people that many elders have already come and accepted this mission. We mustn't wait until we get there and find the slots are full." Qi Liang said with slight urgency.

With that, he flipped his hand and took out his elder token, pointing it at the dark gold stone wall.

A beam of light immediately flew out from the recruitment mission and vanished into his token.

Seeing this, Han Li said nothing more, took out his token, and pointed it into the air.

A beam of light shot over and entered his token, on which an unfamiliar pattern then appeared.

Having accepted the mission, the two did not linger and soon left the Tai Xuan Hall.

Qi Liang had spent countless years in the Candle Dragon Sect and was far more familiar with the sect's affairs than Han Li, so he led the way.

The two first took the teleportation array in the Lin Chuan Pavilion, then flew swiftly. After half a day, they arrived near a huge mountain.

The spiritual energy here was far richer than at Han Li's Red Cloud Peak.

The mountain towered into the clouds, its rock a pale gold, as if made of some ore. The mountain's shape was peculiar, shooting straight up.

From a distance, the mountain resembled a giant golden sword thrusting toward the sky.

At the peak, amidst swirling clouds and mist, lay a series of palaces undulating along the mountain's contours, bathed in golden light, appearing somewhat hazy and adding a touch of mystery.

Near the giant peak was a slightly smaller mountain, with some palace buildings on its summit. The two peaks stood side by side, but both summits had restrictions, so there was no trace of snow.

A long golden bridge connected the two peaks, like a golden rainbow hanging in midair, glittering and magnificent.

"This is the residence of Vice Dao Master Xiong, the Heavenly Sword Peak." Qi Liang, hovering in midair, pointed at the huge mountain in the distance and said.

"Truly spectacular!" Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but he uttered a word of admiration.

"Spectacular as it is, Vice Dao Master Xiong has many rules. This main peak is designated a forbidden area, and outsiders are not allowed to set foot on it without permission. Visitors must first go to the secondary peak to rest, request an audience, and only then can they go to the main peak to pay respects to him." Qi Liang said in a low voice.

Han Li was taken aback for a moment, then nodded slowly.

A moment later, the two landed on a platform at the summit of the smaller peak.

The summit of the secondary peak was not large, with only a few side halls and pavilions, but the layout was very exquisite, giving no sense of shabbiness, but rather a feeling of secluded elegance.

"Greetings, two elders! Have you accepted the mission from the Tai Xuan Hall?" A young man in white robes quickly approached, apparently a servant of the Heavenly Sword Peak, and asked respectfully.

"Indeed. Could you please announce our arrival?" Qi Liang asked directly.

"He is currently on the main peak. Please follow me, elders." The white-robed youth said, then walked ahead.

Qi Liang and Han Li exchanged a glance and followed.

The white-robed youth led them to the golden arch bridge and stepped onto it.

"Aren't you going to announce us to your Vice Dao Master first, just taking us directly?" Qi Liang asked.

"He instructed that any elder who has accepted the mission should not be delayed and should be taken directly to the main peak." The white-robed youth said respectfully.

Qi Liang nodded upon hearing this.

"May I ask how many elders have already accepted the mission?" Han Li inquired.

"Twenty-seven have come so far." The white-robed youth replied.

Qi Liang's expression changed slightly; there were only ten slots.

"It's fine. Since he's taking us there, it means Vice Dao Master Xiong hasn't decided who to use yet. There will probably be some tests later; it's not first-come, first-served." Han Li's voice sounded in Qi Liang's ear.

"That must be it. Thank you for the reminder, Brother Li." Qi Liang's expression relaxed, and he felt a pang of shame.

He had been at a critical point in his cultivation recently and urgently needed these merit points, so his anxiety had caused him to lose his composure.

Walking on the golden arch bridge, beneath their feet was a vast white abyss, and mountain mist swirled around them. If ordinary people were here, their legs would probably go weak.

Han Li and the others naturally did not experience such a situation. They soon crossed the golden bridge and arrived at the main peak.

The summit of the main peak was extremely large, more than ten times the size of Red Cloud Peak.

Palaces with carved railings and jade steps stood here, each one exquisitely beautiful. Pavilions, terraces, gardens, and flowing water were countless.

All the palace buildings, even the floor tiles, were made of precious wood or valuable materials, with gold-colored materials being the most common.

All the palace buildings radiated beams of light, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

Led by the white-robed youth, Han Li and Qi Liang walked along a wide white jade avenue for a full quarter of an hour before arriving at a golden hall.

This was a reception hall, where twenty or thirty people were already seated, vaguely divided into two circles on the left and right sides of the hall, with a sense of confrontation between them.

The group on the left, a dozen or so people, looked relaxed, chatting and laughing with an air of superiority.

The group on the right, though not small in number, was mostly silent.

When Han Li and Qi Liang entered, most people looked over. Since Han Li had only recently joined the sect, many glanced at him and then looked away.

"Heh, I knew you wouldn't miss this mission, Brother Qi. Why are you so late?" A burly man with a curly beard and disheveled hair stood up from the right group and walked over.

"I'm not as well-informed as Brother Nan. You learned of this mission and came immediately, while I'm a step behind." Qi Liang said with a smile.

"I'm just impatient. I've been sitting here idly since I arrived." The burly man laughed heartily, then looked at Han Li.

"And this is?"

"This is Brother Li, who became an inner sect elder a few years ago and now resides at Red Cloud Peak." Qi Liang introduced.

"Brother Nan, I've long heard of you." Han Li cupped his hands.

"So it's Brother Li. Please, have a seat." The burly man pulled the two over to sit on the right side.

As soon as Qi Liang sat down, many people came over to greet him.

Among those present, Han Li knew one or two, though only casually. They exchanged a few pleasantries.

The atmosphere on the right side of the hall became lively.

Hearing the commotion, the people on the left side frowned, and some even snorted lightly.

Although Han Li did not know those on the left, he knew something of their backgrounds.

Most of them were inner sect elders who had started as inner sect disciples, cultivated for countless years, and finally transcended the tribulation to become immortals. Many were even direct descendants of certain great families within the Candle Dragon Sect, born with the status of inner sect disciples.

Such experiences made them native-born members of the Candle Dragon Sect.

In their eyes, Han Li and others who had joined through various opportunities midway were merely outsiders, and they looked down on them.

On one hand, it was the typical attitude of major sect disciples who looked down on rogue cultivators; on the other hand, the addition of rogue cultivators greatly reduced the cultivation resources originally belonging to them, so naturally they showed no goodwill.

Although Han Li had only been in the Candle Dragon Sect for a few years, he had clearly felt this gradually formed conflict and hostility.

The high-ranking members of the Candle Dragon Sect were well aware of this situation but showed no intention of resolving it; instead, they subtly encouraged competition between the two sides. After all, such competition fostered progress.

The Candle Dragon Sect's power had been growing over the years, with powerful cultivators appearing one after another, largely due to this.

Han Li looked toward the left, his gaze shifting slightly before settling on one person.

This was a man who appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a golden crown, with a straight posture and broad shoulders, exuding a dignified bearing. His narrow eyes flashed with sharp light when they opened and closed, like beams of sword light shooting out.

Sitting there, he gave the impression of a standout among the crowd, with others seeming like mere foils gathered around him like stars around the moon.

"That man is named Zhu Feng. He opened the twelve immortal apertures ten thousand years ago and achieved the mid-stage True Immortal realm. He cultivates a sword dao scripture, and because he lives at Langya Peak, he is known as the Langya Sword Immortal, quite famous among inner sect elders. With only ten slots for this mission, given his sword cultivation, he is sure to secure one." Qi Liang noticed Han Li's gaze and said in a low voice.

Han Li nodded slowly.

Zhu Feng appeared quite aloof; those around him occasionally spoke to him, but he rarely responded, and he did not even glance at Han Li's group.

Han Li chuckled inwardly, quickly averted his gaze, and sat down with his eyes closed.

Time passed little by little, and soon half a day had gone by.

During this time, seven or eight more elders arrived one after another, bringing the total in the hall to over forty, with seats nearly full.

For True Immortal cultivators, this amount of time was but a snap of the fingers, and since the person they were waiting for was of high status, naturally no one showed any impatience.

But by now, the hall was quieter than before. Most people had stopped talking and began to rest with their eyes closed.