Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 222 - 222 221 Turmoil in Divine City 5

222: Chapter 221: Turmoil in Divine City 5 222: Chapter 221: Turmoil in Divine City 5 Just as they had anticipated, Wu Sect had a victorious start, taking the Qiankun Flag from Anhe Daoist Sect in the first battle and replacing it with Wu Sect’s Taiji Flag.

This was expected, although it was a blow to morale; everyone could even guess that this Daoist from Wu Sect would persist until the end, and he was probably one of the strongest disciples of Wu Sect, aiming to display such momentum.

To seize Anhe, who else but me!

News spread among the Quanzhen disciples that this Wu Sect disciple had made himself known to the observant, Quanzhen Sect had spies in the Sikong Mansion, and other Daoist factions had similar organizations; as long as you weren’t a nobody, you could not escape these eyes that blanketed the Jinxiu Continent—clearly, this leading Daoist from Wu Sect had a resounding reputation.

“The one-armed disciple is called Wei Kuiyang, a genuine product of Wu Sect hailed as one of the three Pengs of Wu Sect.

Years ago, in a Northern duel with barbarians, he lost an arm but killed nine well-known ferocious barbarians, earning his fame with that battle.”

A senior brother was passing on the information, not because he was nosy, but in hopes that all his peers would be aware—who knows who might be assigned to face this Daoist?

“Lacking an arm doesn’t hinder him from casting spells, ha, but it must be a weakness in close combat, as long as…”

As Hou Niao was presumptuously babbling on here, Luo Linwang started to throw cold water on the idea, “Have you seen his escape skill when he crossed the lake?

Do you think you can catch up with him?”

Hou Niao was defiant, “I won’t chase him, I’ll just switch the flags directly!

Can he really run away and ignore it?”

Luo Lin included him in his admonishment, “Junior brother, can’t you listen and observe more?

You give yourself away the moment you open your mouth, and get fooled as soon as you make a move!

You can’t change the flags yourself, it’s done by designated individuals after you win; you can’t use it to threaten others.”

Hou Niao shut his mouth, thinking to himself that he was unnecessarily worrying about things that weren’t his business.

Quanzhen Sect wasn’t his true path, and he would need to switch allegiances in the future; yet Anhe Daoist Sect’s situation was not looking good, and as it struggled to protect itself, perhaps he should discuss joining Wu Sect, which had the thickest thigh, with Chong Ling one day?

Well, it was worth a try.

With Wu Sect setting the pace, the struggle for the flags gradually became more frequent, but the basic direction and context were clear—it was a competition between Wu Sect and the anti-Wu Sect alliance.

The difference was that no longer were top-notch experts like Wei Kuiyang being sent out, but elite disciples were being pitted against each other, grinding down their numbers; according to the rules of the Dao, losing a round meant no more fighting in the arena, the purpose being to lay the foundation for the final showdown with the trump cards.

Disciples from Huncheng Sect, Blood Transformation Sect, Wo Sect, and Bai Shen Sect started tentative assaults on the great Wu Sect flag, and likewise, Daoist individuals from Wu Sect began to retaliate against these four factions, mutually seizing flags.

The struggle intensified, and the colors of the flags were ever-changing,

As the flags on the city towers changed rulers, one would finish and another would take the stage.

But in such a contest, few disciples could withstand two or three rounds—it was basically a situation of mutual attrition.

Wu Sect suffered considerably less damage, while the four factions saw more significant losses, which also revealed the disparity in their foundations.

As the leading Daoist faction on the Jinxiu Continent, when Daoist Sect united, its intrinsic power was incomparable.

Several other factions remained still, curiously inactive; this included Shan Country’s Quanzhen, Wei Country’s Taihao, Gaochang’s Buddhist Sect, and Xinye’s Buddhist Sect.

Quanzhen Sect was static because everyone knew they would move at the end, and the final contest would definitely be between Wu Sect and Quanzhen Sect; but that Taihao and Buddhist Sects were inactive was somewhat peculiar, giving rise to speculative thoughts.

Alliance formation, that’s all it is.

If all this was true, with the current strength of the Wu Sect across four countries and the power of the Quanzhen Sect in five countries, they had already roughly reached a stalemate.

However, considering the addition of the Outer Path to the Daoist Sect, their situation was worrisome.

The wait on Lake Heart Pavilion was somewhat torturous, allowing only sight of the outcomes, but not the specific processes; the disciples over the lake were swooping back and forth, and the various flashy methods of crossing the lake were truly an eye-opener.

Some crossed through the air as if by magic, with lotuses blossoming with each step, some were aided by magic artifacts, others were carried by spiritual beasts, showcasing the diversity of the Cultivation World in full splendor.

Some people succeeded, others failed, but whether they succeeded or failed, they could not return to Lake Heart Island, nor could they convey the gains and losses of their battles to help their fellow disciples perform better.

Frankly, this was fair.

A day passed and a pattern began to emerge.

Since the Qiankun Flag of the Anhe Daoist Sect had been captured, seven Anhe disciples attempted to take it back, none of whom succeeded, while the Taiji Flag continued to fly, indicating the astonishing strength of the one-armed Wei Kuiyang.

After each battle, there was an hour of rest for recuperation, providing these top disciples with a full opportunity to showcase themselves; the battles continued day and night, which was normal for cultivators.

The flags of Huncheng Sect, Blood Transformation Sect, Wo Sect, and Bai Shen Sect were captured and recovered, sawing back and forth, with the intensity escalating, and of course, fewer and fewer participants remained.

Until the very last moment, no one could determine the final possession.

The Daoist Flags of the Wu Sect were captured three times from all sides, but most of the time, they remained under the control of the Wu Sect.

This represented a dynamic of give and take in the struggle for domination; the more often the flags of the four Demon Sect families were captured, the more it affected their ability to guard their own flags, leaving them with less strength to challenge the Taiji Daoist Flag.

If this trend were allowed to continue, given the gap in strength, sooner or later these four families would only be able to defend, unable to attack.

The Quanzhen Sect and the Taihao Sect, along with two branches of the Buddhist Sect, remained calm, without much turmoil; but beneath such silence, a storm was often brewing, with both sides preparing for the final frenzy.

The next morning, as the red sun shone high, three Upper Cultivators of the Quanzhen Sect, who had until now observed from the sidelines, touched base.

Combining the news from Sikong Mansion with the performance of the various families on the first day, they had to make a change.

Elder Jia frowned deeply, “The latest news from Sikong Mansion.

The reason why the two branches of the Buddhist Sect haven’t made a move is that they have reached a tacit agreement with the Daoist Sect, exchanging their inactivity in the Southwest Region for the Daoist Sect’s forbearance in the Northeast Region.”

Elder Wang snorted coldly, “So the Buddhist Sect has started to act in the Northeast Region?

No wonder.

It turns out these two want to divide the Jinxiu Continent and form a monopoly!

What about the Taihao Sect, do they also have some exchange of benefits?”

Elder Jia shook his head, “We don’t know much about the Taihao Sect’s movements, but according to Sikong Mansion’s intelligence, these three families are likely to remain onlookers.

They won’t go for the Wu Sect’s Daoist Flag, but they also won’t help us take the Demon Sect’s flags.

It’s nothing more than another tacit understanding.”

Elder Wang shook his head with a sigh, “Without the skin, how can the hair stand?

These monks are truly short-sighted, have they never considered their future living environment in the Southwest Region?”

Uncle Li opened his eyes, “Fellow elders, we cannot wait any longer.

If we continue to wait, our four allied families will likely not be able to hold on, and they will also express resentment for our inaction.

In my opinion, we should start counterattacking now, no longer waiting!”

Elders Wang and Jia exchanged a look, seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes, “So be it, let’s start now!”

Indeed,

…The peak’s loftiness is not found in this mortal world; green mountains fill the eyes with plenty.

Pagoda layers encroach upon tree shadows; bell tolls cross the lake waves.

Beyond the heart, no realm exists, the sword forged also becomes a demon.

The Zen monk has ears only for purity, utterly heedless of the flute and song.