Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 688 - 688 687 As Predicted

688: Chapter 687: As Predicted 688: Chapter 687: As Predicted It’s complicated, but generally, the two most promising candidates for the dean position are not popular, and there are groups of people dissatisfied with all candidates, so they brought forward Zhao Xintong to stir the waters since they couldn’t find a suitable candidate themselves.

Over the years, although she has kept herself clean, her extremely high popularity among the Daoists still led to a lot of jealousy, nominating her was not a good thing at all, no matter which of the two real candidates eventually took office, it would not be advantageous for her.

For her, she was indifferent to the dispute; she would stay if it suited her, leave if it did not, it was nothing serious, but, it was a pity for her cultivation exploration here, in terms of resources, it was hard to find a better place than the Red Leaf Daoist Sect.

The Observatory piled up with resources, the large mysterious arrays, the pursuit of ancient mysterious artifacts…

Many people think that Divination is the most cost-saving cultivation method, just tampering with a few counting sticks and turtle shells…

This is not correct, divination might simplify things in the end, but the consumption in the early stage is extremely alarming.

The consumption of alchemy is also astonishing, but at least it has outputs; how should the output of divination be calculated?

Often times, even after figuring something out, one wouldn’t dare to speak of it lightly, just a waste.

Sick of the internal strife within the Red Leaf Daoist Sect yet temporarily unable to leave such a perfect cultivation environment, that was the reason for her inner struggle.

Just like the current Autumn Appreciation Conference, it was also an opportunity for several dean candidates from the Red Leaf to compete in connections.

Since competing for the dean position, a strong network is indispensable, it represents the resources one could fight for after ascending to power, the places one could recommend, the sponsorships one could pull in, a dean with extensive connections is crucial for the Daoists’ future settlement.

Among the three candidates, the first two had been cultivating in the Red Leaf Daoist Sect for many years, and for their rise to the top, they had spared no efforts, bringing in many cultivators from various sects, including those from the Taihao nation, various Daoist sects, as well as several from demon sects.

Most of these people were in the Tongxuan Realm, a few in God Sensing, and some were cultivators of the third level of the Natural Realm and the Tongtian; they might not be core members in their own sects, but to these Daoists, they were already towering figures, seen as successful icons in the Cultivation World.

Several hundred cultivators gathered, creating an impressive scene, but only insiders knew that such a gathering wasn’t even an official assembly but merely a loose gathering of elders.

The two candidates were evenly matched in their networking, but the third candidate, Zhao Xintong, was silent; she didn’t even bother to use any connections she might have had, as these were all meaningless to someone who had no interest in competing.

The long night was coming to an end, and the tedious demonstration of passing down the Daoist method was nearing its conclusion; perhaps the cultivators potentially taking the stage were also disinterested, which showed in their perfunctory demeanor—the matter was quickly dismissed.

The entire night of Daoist method demonstrations left not only the Upper Cultivators disinterested but also the Daoists watching quite bored.

For these lower-level cultivators, they too hoped to elect a candidate they truly supported, not those who were old and gloomy, but someone vibrant and pleasing to the eye.

Next was the most famous highlight of the Red Leaf Daoist Sect’s Autumn Appreciation Conference – the allegorical prophecies segment; in past conferences, it was casually arranged for cultivators to debate each other, which could include deans or distant guests, but this time due to the struggle for the dean position, the organizers had already reached a consensus in private, choosing to have the debate among the three candidates.

It was also a way to publicly compare the depths of the candidates’ Daoist realms and their level of enlightenment.

Since only the three of them were participating, they did not have much time; the debate did not need to be overly complicated, it needed more profound insights that struck at the essence.

Since the topic was drawn randomly, there was no possibility of prior preparation; it depended on each one’s experiences, cultivation, knowledge perspective, and most importantly for those passing on and teaching the Daoist method, the ability to express themselves.

The Cultivation World is full of teapots that cannot pour out dumplings, such people are not fit to be teachers.

The current dean stood up, his hair white as frost, the signs of age on his body could no longer be concealed even by cultivation, it was time for him to retire and enjoy his later years.

With a swipe of his hand, leveraging a special array, the entirety of Red Leaf City and its surroundings for tens of miles around was reflected and distilled into a single point, the scene gradually becoming clearer,

It was a village temple outside Red Leaf City, dedicated to the mountain deity, a place no larger than a palm, in ruins, long devoid of incense offerings, a place forgotten; behind half a mud wall, the fleeting figure of a fox or wolf ghostly passed by, perhaps instinctively sensing something and hastily leaving.

Next to a dust-covered altar lay a person, whose breath alone indicated he had been dead for many days, with signs of being gnawed on his body; because his attire was too tattered and only his back was visible, it was even impossible to discern whether he was a man or a woman.

Red Leaf City was comparatively prosperous, but even so, there were still many people with uncertain origins and no place to call home.

This real and unfolding scene served as the catalyst for the debate and was precisely what the Red Leaf Daoist Academy had always advocated—that cultivation could not be detached from life, nor could debate.

The Dean extended his hand, and a black-bearded Daoist stood up; he was one of three candidates,

“This life’s sorrows, behold reincarnation; the next life’s glory, still uncertain?

The vicissitudes of human life, resolved in a moment; the Dao extinguishes when the lamp goes out, and we then start anew.”

This black-bearded Daoist spoke of reincarnation, which is a cultivator’s basic understanding of life and death.

Another Daoist in white robes stood up; he was also one of the contenders, “Natural selection, survival of the fittest…”

A long, flowing exposition, focusing not on life and death, but on striving, summed up by: if one does not try hard, it’s only fair to die; this applies to both mortals and cultivators.

It was Zhao Xintong’s turn; she initially did not want to stand up, considering using this opportunity to quit, which would also express her stance, but the old Dean looked over with expectant eyes, and she did not want to disappoint the old man, who had invited her back and taken good care of her.

Reluctantly standing up, she sighed, “The real tragedy is not that others didn’t notice she died, but that they never even cared that she had lived…”

In one sentence, she deeply engraved the world’s indifference, and with it, killed the brief debate.

The old Dean shook his head, swiped over the array again, and another scene appeared before them, a rooster in the village, stepping out of the chicken coop and crowing loudly.

The black-bearded Daoist, “In the village without a copper clepsydra, the golden rooster marks the time.

A hundred crows and still it’s not dawn; we wait for the third call.”

The white-robed Daoist, “Daytime’s golden rooster, nighttime’s jade rabbit, changing the Tongxuan symbols through waxing and waning.

The invisible governs all, showing mercy in the Three Realms…”

Two people, one speaking of worldly matters, the other of the Dao, each emphasizing their points.

It was Zhao Xintong’s turn again, still with that debate-ending zeal,

“Every rooster believes the sun rises because of its crow…”