Purple Mist Dao Master
Chapter 295 - 231: First Cloud Whale Skill Exchange Meeting at Hundred Flower Palace!

Chapter 295: Chapter 231: First Cloud Whale Skill Exchange Meeting at Hundred Flower Palace!

"Heavy losses!"

"Last night, each martial academy suffered heavy losses—"

"Chen Qiang, a youth of limit-breaking level from Linhuan Academy, was killed, and Niu Gu was abducted."

"In Wendeng Academy, Inner Courtyard Elder Lai Han was killed, while young limit-breakers Kong Shijin and Zhao Guangzuo were abducted."

"In Liyang Academy, Inner Courtyard Elder Zhu Tong was killed, Zhao Xi was severely injured, and young limit-breakers Liu Qifeng and Shi Xuanli were abducted, while Zhu Chongshi and seven other young limit-breakers were either killed or wounded."

"Qiancheng Academy..."

...

The following day.

Shao Yancong strode in, his tone heavy, bringing Yan Chuan the battle report of the previous night, revealing the grievous casualties suffered by all martial academies.

Among them,

eight young limit-breakers were abducted, eighteen were killed, and twenty-one were injured.

Seven ordinary limit-breakers were killed, and ten were injured.

And this was only the nine martial academies!

This was only the limit-breaking martial artists among the nine martial academies!

Outside of the martial academies, beyond the limit-breaking martial artists, during last night’s battle, countless ordinary martial artists and even common citizens were affected, resulting in unknown numbers of deaths and injuries.

This is a grave sin!

"The cult is rampant!"

Yan Chuan frowned; such chaos caused by the cult seemed purely self-destructive.

Hurting people!

Killing people!

Abducting people!

What is the purpose of this uproar?

"The cult abducted only geniuses, and some speculate this is the four cults competing with Great Yan to seize talents, intending to bring the abducted geniuses into the cult."

"Others speculate the cult’s actions are for fame, aiming to undermine the court’s prestige."

"But none of this makes sense—"

"If it’s about recruiting talents into the cult, they could have used more discreet and gentle methods instead of such desperate measures."

"If it’s for fame, then their suicidal attacks last night, with casualties among themselves as severe as those of the academies, and nearly half of the mid to high-level cultists in Jian Province being lost, the price is too steep."

It’s not just Yan Chuan who couldn’t make sense of it, Shao Yancong couldn’t either, nor could many others.

’Star Gate’ has its ’confidential mechanisms.’

’The cult’ also has its ’confidential means.’

’Star Gate Iron Law’ is relatively mild, with ’Star Stone’ and ’Star Gate Prototype’ available for evasion.

But the cult’s ’doctrines’ are rigorous, and core secrets are extremely difficult to expose; even if one infiltrates the cult proactively, one can only lie low and grasp the cult’s general trends without accessing or exposing the core secrets.

At least—

Yan Chuan doesn’t know.

Shao Yancong doesn’t know.

Many people don’t know.

The abnormal actions of the four cults last night are truly puzzling.

The entire Yingze City was thrown into chaos by the cult, suffering heavy casualties from top to bottom, which was a slap in the face to the court and the magistrates of Jian Province.

The upper echelons of Jian Province were furious and spared no effort in searching for the escaped cultists.

The city was under strict security.

The atmosphere was tense.

But this is ’closing the stable door after the horse has bolted,’ and the damage caused by the Four Cults to the nine academies is difficult to remedy.

Luckily—

"It was fortunate that Professor Yan discovered the cult’s insanity early; otherwise, our Taikang Academy would hardly have escaped unscathed."

After Shao Yancong recounted the events of last night’s battle to Yan Chuan, he felt a wave of relief and a shiver of fear.

Government officers unearthed over twenty bodies from beneath Yan Chuan’s small courtyard, each sinew, bone, skin, and membrane strong, and it turned out they were all limit-breaking level martial artists.

It’s unimaginable what the outcome would have been if these more than twenty limit-breaking level cultists had stormed into the Taikang Academy’s station.

Yan Chuan?

With only Yan Chuan, it would be difficult to cope.

The Taikang Academy was in jeopardy!

Luckily!

Luckily!

Yan Chuan’s sharp instincts allowed him to perceive the threat in advance.

"I was just lucky."

Yan Chuan also felt a twinge of fear.

If it weren’t for him coincidentally enhancing that ’Octagonal Copper Mirror’ last night, and if he hadn’t been randomly shining it underground, even with clear ears and sharp eyes, it would have been difficult to detect the cultists’ traces immediately, not to mention capturing the numerous ’Longevity Cultists’ all at once and burying them alive.

"With more than twenty limit-breaking level martial artists, some of whom were even medium grade limit-breaking, on top of that."

Yan Chuan reflected that even with more limit-breaking opponents, as long as there weren’t any Nine-grade Masters like Ni Mengtong or Innate Grandmasters like Jiang Bianliu, with his ’Wave Riding Micro Steps,’ escaping would not be an issue, ensuring his safety.

But as for the Taikang Academy—

Shao Yancong.

The Zhou Family Sisters.

Yu Jinpeng, Jin Yutang, Zhong Hui, and others.

And right beside them, the people from Hundred Flower Palace and others.

Yan Chuan could escape, but he couldn’t guarantee their safety.

"Octagonal Copper Mirror!"

"Great merit was achieved!"

...

"Cang Mountain Sword Discussion."

"Four Great Cults."

After this battle, Yan Chuan realized even more that not even the Fifteen States of Great Yan were as peaceful as imagined.

The martial arts flourish!

The Mountain and Sea Realm descends!

Danger and the unknown lie not only in the Mountain and Sea Realm, as Great Yan is no pure land either.

Yan Chuan could not change Great Yan for the moment, nor did he want to completely linger in the Mountain and Sea Realm; what he could do was work with all his power to elevate himself—

Since he couldn’t change the environment, he must change himself to adapt to the environment.

Become strong himself.

Danger is distanced.

The key to rapid growth, barring unexpected circumstances, should be in the ’Purple Mist Palace,’ should lie in "Mutual Teaching and Learning."

Specifically speaking—

In the recent and short term, focus on ’Cang Mountain Sword Discussion.’

In the long-term and far future, concentrate on ’Hundred Flower Palace.’

...

"The body is the residence of spirit and breath. If spirit and breath persist, the body remains healthy and strong. If spirit and breath disperse, the body perishes. If one desires to preserve the body, one must first calm the spirit and breath. The breath is the mother of spirit; the spirit is the child of breath. When both spirit and breath are together, one can achieve longevity without death. If one wishes to calm the spirit, one must refine the primordial qi. If the breath is within the body, the spirit is at peace in the Qi Sea. When the Qi Sea is full, the heart is calm and the spirit is settled. If stability is not disrupted, both the body and mind are condensed and tranquil. When tranquility reaches ultimate stability, the body survives for long years."

...

On this day, the three government offices conducted a thorough search of the entire city, scrutinizing everyone who appeared suspicious.

The atmosphere was tense, like the sound of birds flapping in alarm, or the rustling of grass being mistaken for enemy movement.