Volume 7, Chapter 437 – Let’s See How She Breaks Through

“Haha, Sect Leader Guo, you must be joking. As an elder of the Immortal Alliance, why would I deliberately suppress her? Such a talented disciple is a pillar of the alliance’s future!”

Elder Zuo remained unmoved, his tone dripping with feigned innocence.

“Oh? Cheng Hongling and Qi Huang openly challenged the Immortal Alliance, everyone saw it. If Elder Zuo doesn’t take action to teach them a lesson, aren’t you just raising tigers to bring future calamity? And you call them ‘pillars of the future’?”

Guo Rong sneered before continuing, “Besides, if she wins a few more rounds, she’ll likely become the young madam of the Lü family in the Weiyuan Dynasty. Surely Elder Zuo doesn’t want to see that happen, does he?”

“And how do you know I don’t? My granddaughter married into the Lü family. If the Lü family grows stronger, isn’t that a good thing for me?”

Elder Zuo’s expression darkened as he shot a sidelong glance at Steward Cai beside him.

Cai De averted his eyes guiltily, it was indeed he who had leaked this information to Guo Rong.

Guo Rong didn’t bother denying it. Instead, he chuckled and clapped his hands. Moments later, several disciples carried two large chests into the hall and placed them directly in front of Elder Zuo.

“What is the meaning of this? Trying to bribe me?”

Elder Zuo’s gaze turned icy.

“Elder Zuo, you misunderstand. Bribery is what subordinates offer to superiors. What a grand-disciple gives to their grandmaster is simply filial piety.”

Guo Rong corrected him smoothly before turning to his son and daughter-in-law. “Isn’t that right, my son? My dear daughter-in-law?”

“Of course. As the saying goes, ‘A teacher for a day is a father for life.’ Since you are my father-in-law’s master, you are my grandfather.”

“As your granddaughter-in-law, I’ve had no chance to show my respect all these years. Now that we’ve finally met, how could we neglect our duties?”

The young couple immediately stepped forward and bowed.

Elder Zuo’s brows furrowed deeply. Though displeased, he couldn’t deny the logic.

“Elder Zuo, no, Uncle. Since we’re family, I’ll speak plainly. I know the situation in the Lü family. Lü Yi is already a formidable opponent. If Cheng Hongling marries into their household, it’ll be like adding wings to a tiger. Your granddaughter’s branch of the family will never rise again. So, eliminating this girl quickly and forcing her to join our Huxiao Sect aligns with our mutual interests.”

Guo Rong finally laid out his plan.

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“So?”

Elder Zuo took a deep breath.

“As I mentioned earlier, if you could craft a few Divine-grade protective talismans and let them ‘accidentally’ circulate, the next sect facing her will surely find a way to obtain them. That’s when her true colors will be revealed.”

Guo Rong reiterated his scheme.

“But have you considered this? Right now, Yongning Prefecture only has two Divine Realm cultivators, me and Ye Donglai. His disciple has already been eliminated, so he has no reason to make such powerful talismans. If they suddenly appear, everyone will suspect me. Those with ill intentions will accuse me of deliberately targeting that little brat. What happens to my reputation then?”

Elder Zuo voiced his concerns, precisely why he hadn’t acted immediately after returning.

“Uncle, you’re overthinking this. The Western Radiance Dynasty isn’t short on Divine Realm experts. Protective talismans can be made anytime. Without solid evidence, who would dare spread rumors?”

Guo Rong countered.

“I agree with my father-in-law.”

Steward Cai chimed in, turning to Elder Zuo with feigned sincerity. “Master, we have no other choice. The entire world is whispering that we have a grudge against that girl, that we altered the rules just to target her. If we let her run wild, our reputation will suffer. And if she joins the Lü family, the consequences will be dire. Better to minimize the damage now.”

Elder Zuo’s expression flickered before he fell silent.

“Son, daughter-in-law, your grandfather must think we lack sincerity. Why don’t you kneel?”

Guo Rong instructed his children.

“We beg of you, Grandfather!”

The young couple dropped to their knees without hesitation. To them, currying favor with an Immortal Alliance elder was an opportunity most could only dream of.

“Get up, get up!”

Elder Zuo hurriedly helped them to their feet.

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“Uncle, you’ve seen their sincerity. They truly regard you as family. This is your home now. Having Cheng Hongling contribute to the Huxiao Sect’s rise benefits you, and your granddaughter as well.”

Guo Rong pressed on patiently.

“Fine. I’ll craft the Divine-grade protective talismans soon. Whether they end up in the hands of that girl’s opponents… well, that’s up to you.”

Elder Zuo gritted his teeth and finally relented.

“Don’t worry, Uncle! Leave the details to us.”

Guo Rong beamed, lifting his chin triumphantly. “Divine-grade protective talismans, let’s see how she breaks through those!”

And so, by noon the next day, news spread like wildfire, several Divine-grade protective talismans had surfaced in Yongning Province.

“Divine Realm protective talismans? Are they real?”

Ruan Lingyu, seated in the Honghua Sect’s inn, frowned at the report.

“Most likely.”

Qi Huang analyzed swiftly. “Given how far we’ve come, and how openly we’ve challenged the Immortal Alliance, Elder Zuo can’t tolerate it. Him leaking such talismans is only natural.”

“That old man has no shame! An Immortal Alliance elder personally interfering with an alliance disciple?”

Shen Yuan spat in disgust.

“Compared to when he had Steward Cai cripple Junior Sister’s Qi Sea during the Imperial Consort selection, this is nothing.”

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Yun Fei scoffed.

“Well? Can you handle it?”

Cheng Hongling cut in abruptly.

“Relax. Elder Zuo is only at the early Divine Realm. Talismans of that level? I could shatter them with a breath. If anyone thinks this will stop me, they’re sorely mistaken.”

Qi Huang smirked, brimming with confidence.

Yaoyao had arrived at the foot of Donglai Sect’s mountain, stopping at a small town. Unfamiliar with the sect, she decided to gather intel first.

After wandering the streets for a while, she settled at a tea stall. As a pure spirit entity, she could easily pass for human by retracting her cat ears, suppressing her resentment, and adjusting her slit pupils. At most, she looked like an exceptionally pretty young girl, nothing suspicious.

“This… young… young miss… what… what would you like?”

The tea stall owner stammered, his breath hitching the moment he saw her face.

“Just tea.”

Yaoyao waved dismissively.

“R-right away!”

The man hurried to pour her tea, though his eyes kept darting toward her despite his efforts to resist.

“Owner, I’d like to ask. How strong is the Donglai Sect? What’s their sect leader’s cultivation level? The elders? How many disciples do they have? And how many civilians live there?”

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Yaoyao seized the chance to probe.

“Why do you ask?”

The owner sobered slightly, eyeing her warily.

“I’m thinking of settling near the Donglai Sect, but I don’t know much about them. Thought I’d ask someone knowledgeable.”

She offered a perfectly reasonable excuse.

“Ah, I see.”

The man relaxed, pretty girls inquiring about the Donglai Sect were a common sight.

“You must be from out of town. The Donglai Sect is the greatest immortal sect in the Western Radiance Dynasty! The strongest is Grand Elder Ye Donglai, they say he’s reached the fourth layer of the Divine Realm. Next is Sect Leader Tang Yuan, at the peak of the Incarnation Realm…”

The owner launched into a detailed explanation.

Yaoyao listened patiently, her expression unchanging, though inwardly she grew more at ease. From his words, only Ye Donglai posed a real threat. That left her with two options: brute force or subterfuge.

After brief consideration, she opted for the latter. While she could overpower them, the Donglai Sect was still the dynasty’s top sect. Who knew what hidden tricks they had?

“The Donglai Sect’s prestige means countless people want to live there. The requirements are strict. Not just wealth, but also an application. But with your looks, you’d have no trouble. Just find a cultivator who fancies you, and you’ll get in for free, no questions asked.”

The owner grinned suggestively.

“Thanks for the advice.”

Yaoyao’s eyes gleamed as she tossed a silver tael onto the table and left.

After wandering the streets a while longer, she finally found the perfect “tool” for her plans.