The Price of Power and a Familiar Betrayal

A warm image surfaced in Zhao Luo’s mind:

An old woman with kind eyes knelt before a dilapidated mud hut in a crumbling mountain village. She was carefully combing the hair of a girl, whose eyes were dim with hunger, and softly said:

“Luo’er, from now on, pretend to be a boy. It will be safer that way.”

That was her master, Purple Cloud Sovereign, the former Pavilion Master of the Heaven’s Cauldron Pavilion.

Had her master not chanced upon her, a solitary orphan in that mountain village, during her travels in the mortal world, Zhao Luo would have long since starved or frozen to death in those desolate wilds.

It was her master who brought her back to the Immortal Alliance, treating her as her own, and personally instructing her.

It was also her master who, even after Zhao Luo failed her Golden Core breakthrough and had little time left, continued to dote on her as always. Beyond anxiously imparting all her lifelong cultivation insights, she never let Zhao Luo suspect a thing.

“Luo’er, the path of cultivation requires gradual progress. Never be greedy for quick success.”

Her master would always hold her hand, teaching her patiently. Zhao Luo would never forget the warmth and strength her wrinkled hands conveyed.

However, everything changed after her master ascended.

The Martial Aunt who took over as Pavilion Master outwardly displayed sorrow, but secretly, she was already eager to purge the forces her master had left behind.

And Zhao Luo, as her master’s most beloved disciple, was the first target.

She still remembered the sanctimonious look on that Martial Aunt’s face when she approached her after the Grand Competition.

This ‘good Martial Aunt’ possessed a beautiful facade, but her heart was more venomous than scorpions.

She spoke earnestly to Zhao Luo: “Luo’er, your master worried about you the most in life. The situation within the pavilion is complex now, and if you don’t have sufficient cultivation to protect yourself, I fear you won’t be able to survive. Your Martial Aunt has an ancient elixir here, a Nirvana Pill, which can help you break through your shackles and advance to the Purple Mansion realm ahead of time. It would also allow you to take over some of your master’s legacy.”

At that time, Zhao Luo was too young, too trusting of the Immortal Alliance’s elders, and too eager to grow strong quickly to live up to her master’s expectations.

She consumed that elixir, and her cultivation indeed advanced by leaps and bounds. She broke through from Foundation Establishment to Purple Mansion in merely thirty years, only slightly slower than the person before her who took fifty years.

Yet, the price for this rapid advancement was damage to the solid Dao foundation she had laid during her Foundation Establishment phase.

The True Nature that a Purple Mansion True Person should possess could not be perfectly condensed.

Not only did her cultivation stagnate, unable to advance even by half an inch, but during internal duels within the pavilion, she was far inferior to other Purple Mansion cultivators.

She even occasionally lost to some peak Foundation Establishment cultivators who had already condensed a rudimentary True Nature and only needed diligent effort to break through.

This was the deepest pain in her heart and her greatest humiliation.

Now, under this terrifying Golden Core pressure, the past humiliations and unwillingness surged into her mind like a tide.

She gazed at Sword Venerable Mo Tingbei before her, suddenly realizing: the Three-Unity Sword Sect had produced a Golden Core Dao Lord!

If the few senior Dao Lords did not emerge from seclusion, this newly advanced Immortal Sue would rightfully be the true leader of the Immortal Alliance!

Ultimately, the greatest rule of the Immortal Alliance was still the veneration of strength!

A wild thought sprouted in her heart: if she could leverage the power of the Three-Unity Sword Sect, perhaps… perhaps she could overthrow that sanctimonious Martial Aunt and avenge her master!

She recalled her master holding her hand on her deathbed, her breath weak but still not forgetting to admonish her: “Luo’er, the Immortal Alliance is no longer the Immortal Alliance of old. You must be careful…”

Indeed, the Immortal Alliance was no longer the Immortal Alliance it had been when her master was alive.

So, what did she have left to protect?

What dignity needed to be preserved?

She abruptly lifted her head, looking at Mo Tingbei. Though her eyes still held fear, a hint of resolute determination had been added.

Gritting her teeth, she whispered, “I dare not deceive Sword Venerable. Internal factional strife within the Alliance has intensified in recent years. The faction this junior belongs to has declined recently, limiting its say in many matters. This junior indeed bore considerable pressure when coming to the Eastern Barrens.”

She paused, then continued, steeling herself, “Furthermore, there seems to be an important matter within the Alliance recently, causing the Pavilion Masters to be preoccupied with internal affairs. This has led to a shortage of personnel in various pavilions. Even if this junior wished to facilitate this matter, I fear it would be…”

Mo Tingbei listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously caressing the warm surface of his teacup.

He suddenly spoke, interrupting Zhao Luo’s lament: “Does the envoy know that a strange incident occurred in my Three-Unity Sword Sect a month ago?”

Zhao Luo was startled, looking at Mo Tingbei, puzzled.

Mo Tingbei’s tone was casual, as if recounting a travel anecdote: “Mortals piloting Immortal Alliance standard star-skiffs, dressed in Immortal Alliance attire, yet acting wildly. They secretly infiltrated my sect, even attempting to forcefully probe our restricted areas. Their arrogance was truly astonishing.”

Zhao Luo’s heart lurched violently!

Immortal Alliance standard star-skiffs?

Forcefully entering restricted areas?

How could these words form a single sentence?

Zhao Luo felt it was utterly preposterous.

Even if Immortal Alliance members were arrogant or foolish, it was almost impossible for them to dare trespass on the Three-Unity Sword Sect’s territory.

Even though the Three-Unity Sword Sect had long been removed from the Golden Registry, it was still the sect of the Sword Venerable of Worldly Purity and Calamity before her. Even with ample preparation, the Immortal Alliance Pavilion Masters would only dare claim they could contend with him for a short while.

Especially this Sword Venerable, known for his fierce protectiveness. How could anyone be so foolish as to pull the tiger’s whiskers?

Although there had been almost no news of this Sword Venerable in recent years, and rumors of ‘heaven envying talent’ were spreading, even without him, the Three-Unity Sword Sect had continuously suppressed that iniquitous beast burdened with immense karma.

Heaven knew if barging into this sect would lead one directly into the belly of that beast.

That iniquitous beast had only been slain yesterday by the very Sword Venerable before her…

Mo Tingbei observed her expression, continuing in his unhurried tone: “They were unlucky. They were caught red-handed by Sue, who had just come out of seclusion. After a slight punishment, those arrogant madmen have been apprehended. It’s quite peculiar, actually.”

Zhao Luo was already somewhat numb. She even began to suspect if the person before her was lying.

However, this thought was immediately dismissed.

After all, how could a dignified Sword Venerable deceive a small figure like her?

Just then, perhaps displeased with her thoughts, the floating blue lantern suddenly flared with brilliant light.

Mo Tingbei saw Jiang Jinyue casually wave her slender hand, and a faint blue light flew out from the lantern, rapidly expanding as it landed on the ground.

It was an exquisitely crafted silver ice sculpture of a multi-storied boat!

This boat, though only a person’s height, had every detail rendered lifelike. Even the Immortal Alliance’s insignia on its hull was clearly visible.

What made Zhao Luo’s blood run cold was that through the translucent hull, several human figures encased in a ghostly blue ice crystal could be clearly seen!

Those people maintained their final movements and expressions—some horrified, some ferocious, some in the midst of casting spells—but all were eternally frozen in that instant.

The leader wore a miniature sword, exclusive to patrol envoys, at his waist. His face was contorted, his eyes still wide with disbelieving terror.

“This… this is…” Zhao Luo’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

This was clearly not an ice sculpture, but a boat full of living people sealed in ice by someone employing a great divine ability!

She recognized the design of the boat, and even more so, the patterns on the cultivators’ robes—they were indeed members of the Immortal Alliance.

Mo Tingbei paused, his gaze seemingly inadvertently sweeping over Zhao Luo, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of inquiry:

“These individuals are only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, yet their spiritual power is quite peculiar. It is condensed and pure, far exceeding their peers, but shows no signs of True Nature. Moreover, it carries an ancient aura, vastly different from the mainstream cultivation methods of today.”

Zhao Luo’s breathing hitched slightly.

Mo Tingbei seemed not to notice her abnormality, continuing:

“I, Mo, am not particularly talented, but in my early years, for the sake of my sect’s livelihood, I once searched all the secret realms under heaven. I am quite familiar with the aura of various secret realms. The ancient aura on these individuals is rather strange; it seems to be related to an ancient secret realm that should have long since vanished into the river of history.”