Ling Xiao felt that the opponents he would face in the future might be more terrifying and powerful than ever before, so he couldn’t afford the slightest complacency.
No matter how the outside world changed, growing stronger was the only way forward!
Time passed like a fleeting horse, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Four Sects Martial Assembly arrived.
During this period, Ling Xiao not only used mid-grade spirit stones to break through to the peak of the Ninth Mortal Realm but also became more adept at wielding his three wills.
His mastery of the *Soul Control Secret Art* had reached a new level.
Now, with his mountain-river will, he could control ordinary beasts and trees.
Outside his cave mansion, Zhao Zhi was approaching when a bear suddenly charged out, speaking to him.
“What’s the matter, Zhao Zhi?”
Zhao Zhi was startled by the bear, but as it was just an ordinary beast, he quickly calmed down.
Moreover, the bear’s voice was unmistakably Ling Xiao’s.
“Is that you, Senior Brother Ling?”
“Sort of. What’s up?”
The bear asked.
“Senior Brother Ling, the Four Sects Martial Assembly is about to start. The Sect Leader has instructed you to set off, and I was sent to notify you.”
Zhao Zhi replied respectfully.
“Got it, I’ll head over now!”
Ling Xiao withdrew his soul power, and the bear, looking dazed, glanced around before darting into the forest and disappearing.
These animals knew their place; no disciple in the Moonflower Sect was someone they could afford to provoke.
After retracting his soul power, Ling Xiao headed to the sect’s main hall.
By then, Lan Yuer, Tantai Lingzi, Leng Hao, and Dai Yuling had already arrived.
Their masters, Chang Yueli, Chang Yueying, and Golden Light Heavenly Venerable, would accompany them as team leaders.
Wu Xiang, as the Sect Leader, would also go, unconcerned about the sect’s safety with the Moon Lady guarding it.
The Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable, having lost all his disciples, had gone into seclusion to focus on cultivating his own strength, no longer pinning hopes on disciples.
Ling Xiao noticed that, aside from himself, the other four had improved their cultivation to varying degrees:
Lan Yuer: Fifty percent power, Half-Step Heavenly Venerable;
Tantai Lingzi: Thirty percent power, Half-Step Heavenly Venerable;
Leng Hao: Early Ninth Mortal Realm;
Dai Yuling: Early Ninth Mortal Realm.
In comparison, Ling Xiao’s cultivation progress had been slower, as he focused on other aspects of training. Still, the peak of the Ninth Mortal Realm was impressive, far stronger than when he visited Demon Fortress City.
However, he kept his template at the early Ninth Mortal Realm.
Staying low-key kept his enemies guessing.
Unbeknownst to him, the other four had trained relentlessly within the sect, nearly exhausting themselves, leveraging the benefits from the Moonflower Pagoda for rapid progress.
But after this period, without further fortuitous encounters, their cultivation wouldn’t advance so quickly.
“Since everyone’s here, let’s set off.”
Wu Xiang glanced at the group, feeling quite proud.
The Moonflower Sect was no longer what it once was, especially with Ling Xiao’s unfathomable strength. He was confident they would achieve remarkable results at the Four Sects Martial Assembly.
Wu Xiang touched a crescent-shaped pendant around his neck, and a white light flashed, summoning a massive treasure ship.
Over ten metres long and six or seven metres wide, it resembled a crescent moon.
“This is our Moonflower Sect’s Moonlight Treasure Ship. Beyond its Half-Step Heavenly Venerable-level attack and defence, its speed rivals that of a Celestial Realm expert. However, it consumes spirit stones, which isn’t affordable for most, so it’s only used for events like the Four Sects Martial Assembly or the Martial Arts Festival,” Wu Xiang explained, making the Moonflower Sect disciples’ eyes shine.
Undoubtedly, this was a special type of mobile puppet.
The Moonlight Treasure Ship launched, swiftly leaving the Moonflower Sect at a speed barely discernible to the naked eye, heading for the Sword King Sect.
An hour later, at noon, the ship broke through the clouds, appearing above the Sword King Sect.
Its speed slowed considerably.
Every sect had protective arrays, and approaching too quickly could trigger an attack, a fact even Wu Xiang, newly appointed Sect Leader, understood well.
What a scene of lush mountains and clear waters!
As the ship descended, Ling Xiao took in the Sword King Sect’s scenery.
Compared to the Moonflower Sect, the Sword King Sect’s landscape was more majestic, with a sharpness and ruggedness akin to a swordsman.
A massive waterfall cascaded from the mountaintop to its base.
“What a place! Every inch of land, every leaf seems imbued with sword intent, stirring the heart,” Ling Xiao remarked with admiration.
“Indeed, the Sword King Sect’s history is no less than the Moonflower Sect’s. Though they’ve had their decline, their recent rise far surpasses ours. They’re not to be underestimated,” Lan Yuer said with a smile.
As the Moonlight Treasure Ship landed, an outer sect elder from the Sword King Sect, accompanied by a few outer disciples, came to greet them. Though polite, their attitude left something to be desired.
“Hmph, the Sword King Sect clearly looks down on us. Every Four Sects Martial Assembly, they send an inner sect elder for the Beast King Palace, but only an outer sect elder for us!” Chang Yueying, former Moonflower Sect Leader, grumbled, having visited the Sword King Sect before and always resenting this slight.
“Respect is earned with strength!” Wu Xiang said coldly. “After this Four Sects Martial Assembly, they won’t dare underestimate us again!”
“Well, well, when did the Moonflower Sect change its leader? Doesn’t matter, it’s always the same, the trash of the twelve sects!” a grating voice interrupted.
Looking up, they saw a two-legged flying dragon descending, carrying members of the Beast King Palace, the speaker being one of their inner sect elders.
Wu Xiang sneered, “Who’s the trash? After this assembly, you’ll see. Today’s Moonflower Sect is a far cry from before! But your Beast King Palace, with core disciples running amok outside, got taken down by one of our outer disciples. Pathetic!”
“You!” The Beast King Palace elder flushed with anger.
Though reluctant to admit it, Ling Xiao, then an outer disciple, had indeed killed their core disciple, Wang She.
“Alright, alright, we’re all guests here. Let’s not ruin the harmony over trivial matters!” the Sword King Sect’s inner sect elder, who had greeted the Beast King Palace, stepped in to mediate.
Normally, he might enjoy seeing the Moonflower Sect and Beast King Palace clash, but this was the Sword King Sect, and during the Four Sects Martial Assembly, a fight would not only implicate them but also tarnish their reputation.
