Stirring Up the Storm

Those who stumbled upon the cultivation technique’s copied scrolls either dismissed them as mere waste paper, failing to recognize their true value, or, if discerning enough, immediately secreted them away.

Furthermore, Yan Yun had explicitly cautioned within the scrolls themselves that this was a forbidden cultivation technique by the Immortal Alliance, emphasizing the need for extreme prudence and warning of inherent dangers in its practice.

Concurrently, Yan Yun had also left a peculiar message for anyone contemplating its cultivation.

The message read: “This cultivation technique is proscribed by the Immortal Alliance. Should you choose to cultivate it, your life will be forfeit unless you ensure its widespread dissemination. For when many practice it, the law cannot punish everyone.”

Consequently, those who harbored the intention to cultivate this technique, driven by a primal instinct for self-preservation, would undoubtedly aid Yan Yun in propagating the Heavenly Poison Sutra, thereby accelerating its spread at an alarming rate.

News of this unprecedented phenomenon swiftly reached the headquarters of the Immortal Alliance in Jiang Country.

Their prohibition against such cultivation techniques stemmed from a deep-seated desire to preserve the exclusivity and elevated status of cultivators.

After all, the vast majority of cultivators inherently believed themselves to be superior to ordinary mortals.

Yet, these specific cultivation techniques, requiring no innate talent, shattered such rigid limitations, hence their resolute ban.

Within the Jiang Country Immortal Alliance headquarters, a dignified middle-aged man stood, his face a mask of ashen fury, his entire body trembling as he stared at the papers clutched in his hand.

This formidable individual was Shangguan Jinyang, the esteemed Master of the Immortal Alliance within Jiang Country’s cultivation world, a cultivator who had attained the Grand Completion Divine Venerable Realm.

“Wh-wh-what is this? Who dares to perpetrate such an outrage?” Shangguan Jinyang demanded, his voice laced with exasperation as he glared at his subordinates. “Have you ascertained the true origin of this Heavenly Poison Sutra? Is it the work of that runaway, Yan Yun?”

However, the Immortal Alliance cultivators tasked with delivering this report found themselves utterly bewildered.

“This, Alliance Master?” one of them stammered, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his brow. “In every town, people are indiscriminately circulating this nefarious technique. While our various monitoring stations are striving to confiscate them, the sheer volume of dissemination is overwhelming. It’s highly probable that countless individuals have already secretly acquired copies of this Heavenly Poison Sutra. We cannot possibly conduct a house-to-house search, can we?”

The situation was both abrupt and utterly inconceivable; had this cultivation technique not been explicitly forbidden, it would undoubtedly rank among the rarest and most invaluable practices in existence.

Yet now, this incredibly precious technique was being discarded like refuse, becoming commonplace overnight. How could anyone possibly hope to contain such a phenomenon?

Such was the cunning of human nature, and Yan Yun had masterfully exploited it to compel the Immortal Alliance into a dire predicament.

“Haha, truly befitting the inheritor of the Heavenly Poison Maiden!” Shangguan Jinyang burst into a furious laugh, a chilling sound. “What an utterly intractable, venomous scheme!”

He could vividly envision a future, not far off, where cultivators practicing the Heavenly Poison Sutra would proliferate across every corner of the land.

Moreover, the sheer potency of this technique was such that, far from merely tempting ordinary individuals, even seasoned cultivators would struggle immensely to resist its allure.

Possessing such keen insight, he naturally recognized the authenticity of the cultivation technique.

Not only did Shangguan Jinyang find himself grappling with a severe headache, but the entirety of Jiang Country’s cultivation world was thrown into utter pandemonium.

****

At this very moment, within the Yunhua Sect, a special meeting had been convened to address the burgeoning crisis.

Fairy Yunshuang, along with the six revered elders, all bore grim expressions as they gazed at the papers in their hands—documents submitted by Yunhua Sect disciples upon their return from various missions.

“Confound it all!” Yunhong exclaimed, his voice laced with frustration. “This young fellow, Yan Yun, truly possesses terrifying methods. Sect Master, we must devise a strategy to prohibit our disciples from practicing this technique. I propose a comprehensive search and confiscation throughout the entire sect, one by one.”

However, Yunyan immediately countered with a question.

“It’s merely a piece of paper,” he pointed out. “Any disciple who has truly seen this technique would have already imprinted it upon their minds. Are you suggesting we conduct soul searches on each and every one of them?”

Yunhong found himself utterly speechless.

Had the Heavenly Poison Sutra been nothing more than a worthless technique, their concerns would have been minimal. The crux of the problem, however, lay in its undeniable status as one of the era’s foremost cultivation techniques, remarkably devoid of any entry requirements.

“This predicament cannot be resolved by our Yunhua Sect acting in isolation,” Fairy Yunshuang stated gravely. “Alliance Master Shangguan has already conveyed a message, informing us that this cultivation technique has permeated every corner of the land, rendering it utterly uncontrollable. He has summoned the Sect Masters of all major sects to the Immortal Alliance to deliberate upon a solution.”

Third Elder Yunhe immediately let out a disdainful snort.

“How else could it possibly be resolved?” he scoffed. “Isn’t this entire debacle a direct consequence of the Lin family and the Immortal Alliance’s actions? Any cultivation technique, so long as it isn’t wielded with malicious intent, is merely an ordinary practice. The Immortal Alliance had no cause to so ostentatiously pursue that young man.”

“What’s more,” Yunhe continued, his voice rising, “when members of the Lin family brazenly ambushed and murdered others for their treasures, only to be slain in retaliation, why did the Immortal Alliance not pursue them? Instead, they exhaust every avenue to harass another family. And this Yan Lingyun, an ancestor of the Yan family from a millennium past, countless generations removed—how dare they resurrect her name to create such a stir?”

“If we are to make an issue of such distant lineage,” Elder Yunhe challenged, fixing his gaze upon Yunhong, “then I ask all of you assembled here: who among us can guarantee that their ancestors, a dozen generations removed, were entirely blameless?”

This was an undeniable truth, for many cultivation techniques had existed unregulated before the Immortal Alliance’s inception. It was only after its establishment that certain specialized practices were formally added to the list of forbidden cultivation methods.

Yunhong found himself with no viable counter-argument.

“The Lin family is one entity, and Lin Mo is another,” Yunhong conceded, choosing his words carefully. “Junior Brother Yunhe, let us not extrapolate too far from the matter at hand.”

“Enough,” Fairy Yunshuang interjected, bringing an end to the squabble. “Cease your bickering. For now, issue a directive throughout the entire sect, cautioning everyone against indiscriminately cultivating this Heavenly Poison Sutra, as its authenticity remains unverified. We shall revisit this matter once I have concluded discussions with the Immortal Alliance and ascertained a definitive outcome.” With these words, she rose, transforming into a streak of shimmering light, and swiftly departed the grand hall.

Yet, instead of proceeding directly to the Immortal Alliance, she veered towards the formidable entrance of an underground palace nestled deep within the Yunhua Sect grounds.

“Master, your disciple humbly requests an audience,” Fairy Yunshuang stated with profound reverence, addressing the unseen presence beyond the massive doors.

Moments later, the colossal doors slowly parted, and a clear, cool female voice resonated from within.

“Enter.”

Fairy Yunshuang promptly stepped inside, eventually finding herself within a pristine, silent white jade palace. At its heart lay a frigid pond, from which emanated a pervasive chill, housing a piece of cold jade that pulsed with unrestrained cold energy.

Upon the chilling jade sat a woman with flowing white hair and robes, her back turned towards Fairy Yunshuang.

“Master,” Fairy Yunshuang began, her voice filled with deference, “there is news regarding your benefactor, Senior Heavenly Poison Maiden.”

The woman before her was none other than Fairy Yunxia, the Grand Elder of the Yunhua Sect.

Upon hearing this, Fairy Yunxia’s eyes snapped open with startling intensity.

“Is it true?” Fairy Yunxia questioned, a tremor of excitement in her voice. “Sister Lingyun isn’t dead? She’s truly alive?”

“I cannot confirm that, Master,” Fairy Yunshuang clarified, “but recent events suggest otherwise. The inheritor of Senior Heavenly Poison Maiden has emerged, and he is extensively disseminating the cultivation methods of the Heavenly Poison Sutra across Jiang Country, thereby igniting a massive uproar.”

Fairy Yunxia paused, a flicker of disappointment unmistakably crossing her features.

Had Yan Lingyun been present to behold Fairy Yunxia, she would have recognized the woman before her as the young girl she had casually rescued over a millennium ago.

Over a thousand years prior, the Yunhua Sect had merely been a second-rate establishment. Fairy Yunxia, then a recent initiate, had nearly met her demise in the maw of a demonic beast while undertaking an outdoor expedition.

Yan Lingyun, merely passing by, had casually intervened and saved her life. Without Yan Lingyun’s timely rescue, neither the Yunhua Sect as it stood today nor Fairy Yunxia herself would exist.

Having spent a period of time with Yan Lingyun, Fairy Yunxia had come to understand that Yan Lingyun was far from the terrifying figure depicted in rumors. On the contrary, she possessed a kindness that far surpassed many so-called righteous cultivators.

The moniker ‘deviless’ was, in truth, nothing more than a malicious epithet unjustly imposed upon her by her adversaries.

Later, she learned that Yan Lingyun had, through an act of poisoning, annihilated an entire major sect, thereby provoking cultivators from the upper realms to descend and relentlessly pursue her.

At that time, Fairy Yunxia had been too feeble, utterly incapable of offering any assistance to Yan Lingyun.

Subsequently, when news reached her that Yan Lingyun had been cornered and killed by powerhouses from the upper realms, Fairy Yunxia had grieved profoundly for a considerable period.

Nevertheless, Yan Lingyun’s demise ignited within her an unyielding resolve, a burning desire to cultivate immense power.

Fueled by her unwavering conviction, her cultivation soared unimpeded. She ascended to become the Yunhua Sect Master, guiding the sect from its former status as a second-rate establishment to a prestigious first-rate power. Ultimately, she herself achieved the pinnacle of the Divine Venerable Realm, propelling the Yunhua Sect to become the strongest sect of the new generation within Jiang Country.

“Shuang’er, find a way to locate that child named Yan Yun,” Fairy Yunxia commanded after a moment of deep contemplation. “Inform him to come to the Yunhua Sect; we will offer him our protection.”

Fairy Yunshuang nodded gravely.

“Yes, Master. Coincidentally, this child’s wife and mother are both my disciples, your grand-disciples. Even without your command, I would have secretly protected him. It was simply that the incident occurred so suddenly, leaving no time to react.”

Fairy Yunxia nodded in acknowledgment.

“Go,” she instructed. “The Yunhua Sect acts only according to what we believe is right, and we will not allow certain individuals to monopolize the discourse of the cultivation world.”

After a respectful bow, Fairy Yunshuang turned and departed.