Zhang Sanfeng asked, puzzled, "Cuishan? Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Although his cultivation is not bad, he has only just entered the seventh level of the Acquired Realm, which is far inferior to Yuanqiao and Lianzhou!"
"Furthermore, having wasted over ten years of my prime on the island, it will be quite difficult for me to catch up with Yuanqiao and Daiyan now!"
"Junior brother, what do you mean?"
Zhang Sanfeng was completely bewildered by Xiao Ning's words. They seemed to be jumping from one topic to another, and he had no idea what Xiao Ning was talking about.
Xiao Ning ignored all of that and continued what he had been saying, saying, "I once heard the old immortal say that the previous leader of the Ming Cult, Yang Dingtian, suddenly died in the secret passage of the Ming Cult. Because the leader had been missing for more than 20 years, the members of the Ming Cult fought each other for the throne of successor, which led to the Ming Cult falling apart!"
"Therefore, I believe that the opportunity for my junior brother Cuishan has arrived!"
Zhang Sanfeng asked, "What opportunity?"
Xiao Ning said, word by word, "To compete for the position of leader of the Ming Cult!"
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Chapter 36 The Struggle for the Position of Cult Leader
Xiao Ning's casual remark, intended to entice Zhang Cuishan to vie for the position of leader of the Ming Cult, caused Zhang Sanfeng's expression to change drastically, as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.
Then, seeing that Xiao Ning's expression was serious and not like he was joking, Zhang Sanfeng couldn't help but ask, "Junior brother, what makes you say that? Why would my disciple, Zhang Sanfeng, want to be the leader of that damned Ming Cult?"
Xiao Ning waved his hand without explaining, "Let's not talk about this now. I'll tell you everything later, and then you'll understand, Senior Brother."
Zhang Sanfeng was still somewhat skeptical, but he didn't pursue the matter further, saying, "It's common knowledge that Cuishan is a disciple of Wudang!"
"Just to put it simply, what makes you think Cuishan can seize something that the Ming Cult's left and right envoys and Dharma Kings have been fighting over for decades without any result?"
"Yang Xiao, the Left Envoy of Light, occupies Bright Peak and does whatever he pleases!"
"Right Envoy Fan Yao has gone missing!"
"The father-in-law of Cuishan, the White-browed Eagle King, withdrew from the Ming Cult and established his own sect because of this!"
"The Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun has fled overseas!"
"The whereabouts of the Purple-Robed Dragon King are unknown!"
"The Green-Winged Bat King is exchanging glances with Yang Xiao!"
"Given such a complex situation, what merit or ability does Cuishan possess to seize the position of leader of the Ming Cult from them?"
The situation described by Zhang Sanfeng was not much different from what Xiao Ning learned from the book.
Xiao Ning nodded in agreement, saying, "What Senior Brother said is almost exactly what I know! However, I know one more thing!"
"Yang Dingtian, the former leader of the Ming Cult, left behind a will before his death!"
"With this suicide note and Cui Shan's identity, as long as you and I, as fellow disciples, work together and operate properly in secret!"
"I believe I am quite confident that I can help Cuishan ascend to the position of leader of the Ming Cult, or even the supreme ruler of the world!"
"In this way, we can both restrain those unruly members of the Ming Cult and benefit all the people of the world—a win-win situation!"
That's truly a groundbreaking statement!
If Zhang Sanfeng hadn't known this junior brother well, he probably would have scolded him on the spot for being arrogant, ignorant, and fearless.
Even so, Zhang Sanfeng still suspected that his junior brother might not be fully awake and was talking in his sleep!
"Junior brother, your idea... this old Daoist really doesn't know what to say!"
Zhang Sanfeng was both amused and exasperated.
Xiao Ning pressed his hands down and said, "Senior brother, please calm down and let me explain slowly. This matter requires your approval and the full cooperation of Wudang. Otherwise, even if I have the highest martial arts skills, I will be powerless to do it alone."
Zhang Sanfeng nodded: "Alright, this old Taoist is all ears!"
Xiao Ning slowly said, "Yang Dingtian's will states that after his death, Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King, will temporarily assume the position of leader. If any member of the Ming Cult finds the lost treasure, the Sacred Flame Token, or if someone successfully cultivates the Ming Cult's inherited divine skill, the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, then either of these conditions must be met for them to succeed as leader."
"Therefore, we can certainly make a fuss about these two things!"
"As far as I know, the Sacred Flame Token was obtained by the Mongols when the old Song Dynasty was destroyed, and was sent back to the Persian headquarters of the Ming Cult."
"The journey to Persia is more than ten thousand miles long, and retrieving the Sacred Flame Token is certainly unrealistic, so this option can be disregarded!"
"Then we can only turn our attention to another option: the Ming Cult's supreme martial art, the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth!"
"The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth originated from the Ming Cult of Persia. Its founder was named the Old Man of the Mountain, and historically only the leader of the Ming Cult could practice it."
"Its core principle is an extremely ingenious method of exerting force. Its fundamental principle is not so mysterious. It lies in bringing out the potential inherent in the human body, first stimulating its potential, and then guiding and shifting it."
"The changes are so miraculous that they are truly unbelievable."
"This miraculous mental cultivation technique has been lost to anyone since Yang Dingtian's death. Only Yang Xiao of the Ming Cult has mastered the first two levels!"
"However, in reality, it was hidden in a secret passage in the forbidden area of the Ming Cult, along with the will left by Yang Dingtian, beside his remains."
Xiao Ning slowly recounted these secrets, captivating Zhang Sanfeng.
Then, Xiao Ning said, "Therefore, what I mean is that as long as we infiltrate the Ming Cult's secret passages, obtain Yang Dingtian's last words and the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth' mental cultivation method, and then have Cuishan diligently cultivate it to the point of mastery!"
"As the son-in-law of the White-browed Eagle King of Cuishan and the sworn brother of the Golden-haired Lion King, it is only natural that he would qualify to compete for the position of leader of the Ming Cult!"
"At that time, once Cuishan seizes the position of leader of the Ming Cult, retrieves Xie Xun's Dragon-Slaying Saber, and commands hundreds of thousands of Ming Cult members, he will also have the full support of Wudang."
"When the time comes, raising the banner of righteousness, calling on righteous men from all over the world, driving out the Mongols, and restoring our Han homeland will be as easy as turning one's hand!"
"This is precisely why I just said that I made Cuishan the leader of the Ming Cult!"