"A prestigious sect? How did my Hidden Immortal Sect become a prestigious sect? I remember that the first rule of my Hidden Immortal Sect is to have clear thoughts, right? Tell me, which prestigious sect would put such a rule first?"
"Uh..." Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu were stunned. Fortunately, they reacted quickly and soon came to their senses.
"Master, does that mean you don't care about this?"
"Care? Zhang Xiaofan, do you know how Biyao obtained the Mountain and River Fan?"
Having spent so much time together, Zhang Xiaofan naturally knew about the powerful magic weapon in Biyao's possession.
"Could it be Master?"
"Hehe, that was my betrothal gift to Biyao. I met that girl a long time ago. I took a liking to her then and planned to marry one of you two. But that girl has a strong personality, and so does Jingyu. If the two of you were together, I'm afraid you'd fight tooth and nail."
Therefore, Xiao Fan was chosen. Although Xiao Fan seems a bit slow-witted, he's actually quite strong-willed at heart. But that's perfect, because while Bi Yao appears strong on the surface, she's actually very thoughtful, compassionate, and loyal. She's a perfect match for you. Therefore, this marriage was arranged for you.
The original plan was that you would only kiss her after your cultivation surpassed hers. I never expected you to win her over so easily. That saved you a lot of time. Hahaha, see? Your junior brother seems dull, but he's got a real knack for charming girls. Jingyu, you should learn from your good brother. Otherwise, your master's wife will nag you all the time.”
The entire hall erupted in laughter. Only Zhang Xiaofan felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn't expected his master to be so considerate of him. Besides his parents, this was the best person to him in his life. But he had always kept that matter a secret from him. Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaofan raised his head again.
"Master..."
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Chapter 428 Four Spirits Blood Array
There are two major cultivation systems in the world of Jade Dynasty. The first is the system based on the Heavenly Book. The Qingyun Sect, Tianyin Temple, and Ghost King Sect all originate from this system. The other sects of the Demonic Cult are also related to this system to varying degrees, but they are quite far removed from it.
Another lineage is the witchcraft of the Southern Frontier. Primarily based in the Incense Valley, the witch clans of the Southern Frontier, as well as the later-appearing witches and beast goddesses, all originated from this system.
During that interrogation in court, Zhang Xiaofan confessed all his secrets, including his past study of the Great Brahma Prajna. He originally thought this would enrage his master. However, to his surprise, his master actually smiled and said...
"You've finally brought this up. With your inner demons gone, your path of cultivation should be smooth sailing from now on."
Zhang Xiaofan was stunned. The secret he had kept hidden in his heart for so many years had been completely exposed to his master. He felt ashamed and his awe of Lu Xuan grew even stronger.
Afterwards, Lu Xuan kept his vow and took him to propose marriage, thus becoming engaged to the Ghost King. Lu Xuan thus became the first 'righteous' member of the Ghost King Sect.
"Sect Leader Lu, what do you think of my Ghost King Sect?"
"Ghost King, your thoughts and strategies are among the best in the world. Even the so-called Qingyun Sect is no better than this."
"I think so too, but Qingyun Sect has a strong foundation, which Ghost King Sect cannot compare to at present."
"Why must we contend with the Qingyun Sect? The world is vast, and even the so-called Central Plains only occupies one or two tenths of this world. The Qingyun Sect's influence extends no more than a thousand miles. I truly do not understand why you, as a cultivator, are so fixated on competing with the so-called righteous path?"
Ghost King Sect was taken aback, clearly not expecting Lu Xuan to say such a thing. After a moment, he responded:
"Having cultivated to my level, how difficult it is to take the next step. It would be better to unify the world and hold the reins of humanity!"
"Holding sway over the mortal realm? With your Ghost King Sect, which has been established for hundreds of years, those ruthless demons and heretics, or the Four Spirits Blood Array that you are preparing?"
The moment the words "Four Spirits Blood Array" were uttered, the Ghost King trembled. He almost couldn't resist selling outright, but considering the unparalleled cultivation of the person beside him, and crucially, the person's thorough knowledge of his sect's internal workings, he knew that even if he attacked, he would likely gain no advantage. He could only dejectedly withdraw his spiritual power.
"Your insight is profound, far beyond my reach."
"Heh, you're just saying that, but you definitely don't mean it that way. But do you know what the consequences will be after the Four Spirits Blood Array is activated?"
This question immediately stumped the Ghost King, as he too had some doubts about it. The Four Divine Beasts are sacrificed to activate the Four Spirits Blood Array, summoning Asuras to descend upon the world. The caster merges with the Asura, gaining supreme divine powers. This is the basic description of the Four Spirits Blood Array.
This description sounds like a trap. However, given that this formation requires four ferocious beasts to activate, and the conditions are so stringent, the Ghost King felt somewhat reassured. Paying such a high price to gain power is entirely reasonable.
"Price? Think about it carefully, did you really pay a price in this process?"
Lu Xuan's next sentence shattered the Ghost King's illusions.
"Why not? I did pay a price..." He instinctively started to retort, but then froze on the spot. He suddenly understood Lu Xuan's meaning. He truly hadn't paid any price. This price didn't refer to the effort he expended in collecting and capturing the four divine beasts, but rather that he himself hadn't actually paid anything.
"Senior knows about the Four Spirits Blood Array and the Asura?"
“Asura…” Lu Xuan didn’t really know what Asura was. After all, the original work didn’t explain it clearly either. But he had a vague feeling that Asura seemed to have a slight connection with it.
“That thing is not of this world. Although I don’t know which Asura you’re referring to, I do know that the characteristic of those things is that once they are born, the first thing they do is devour the caster. They are completely different from the things of this world. In our human understanding, their actions are pure evil. Do you understand? You can’t make deals with them, you can’t gain their trust, and you can’t believe in them. No matter what method you use, you can’t do it, because evil is the meaning of their existence.”
"..." Upon hearing this, the Ghost King's expression changed drastically. He remained speechless for a long time. Meanwhile, the two had reached the deepest part of the Ghost King Sect. This was a cavern, artificially modified to be enormous. In the center of the cavern stood a massive bronze cauldron, covered with countless ancient characters. At this moment, those characters were flashing a faint red light, seemingly activated by some power. This was the Subduing Dragon Cauldron. The Four Spirits Blood Array originated from the ancient characters on the Subduing Dragon Cauldron.
The Ghost King didn't completely believe what Lu Xuan said, but in any case, his words still had a huge impact on him.
Upon seeing the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron, he immediately sensed that the entire thing exuded a strange and malevolent aura.
Lu Xuan ignored the Ghost King's thoughts and instead looked at the black-robed man in front of him and asked.
"Are you Mr. Ghost?"
"This junior is indeed given this title."
"Tell me, why are you so determined to activate the Four Spirits Blood Array? Do you know the consequences of this thing?"
"I have some understanding of this."
"If that's the case, why did you still incite the Ghost King to activate it?"
Mr. Ghost fell silent, seemingly burdened by some unspeakable secret. But Lu Xuan's gaze left him nowhere to hide. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke.
"The Four Spirits Blood Array is activated, allowing you to summon Asura warriors to command the array with unparalleled power."
"Is that so? But you are not in charge of the Ghost King Sect. Even if you possess supreme power, it is not something you can obtain. What can you gain by racking your brains? Do you really want to assist a wise ruler and unify the world?"