Chapter 4506 — The Old Sect of Xishan
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Fixed by the strange old man's sinister gaze, Hai Wuliang instantly wet himself. His knees gave way and he dropped to the ground despite himself, stammering and shaking his head frantically: "N-no... this one is not... that man is... just now this one was rash and gave offense, please, Senior, be magnanimous and overlook the small man's fault..."
Hai Wuliang pointed a finger straight at Qi Mingyuan, betraying this new overlord of the escort agencies without a moment's hesitation. A wave of contempt swept through the hall. Though none of them dared defy this Mountain-Opening heretic colossus either, that did not stop them from despising Hai Wuliang, this spineless creature—all high-sounding righteousness from his lips, yet when the crunch truly came, he licked boots more nimbly than anyone.
Seeing the strange old man's unfathomable, sinister gaze turn his way, Qi Mingyuan's heart tightened, but he did not make a sound. He too could not possibly defy an existence of that caliber, but he would never stoop to licking boots in public as shamelessly as Hai Wuliang.
"Good. Whoever it is doesn't matter—this sect is taking over your assembly for the time being. Anyone who objects can speak up now." The strange old man looked down upon them all with the lofty air of one surveying lesser beings.
The crowd nodded vigorously. Not one dared make a sound at such a moment. To object was to seek death; no one here was a fool, and no one would be the bird that stuck its head out first.
"Not bad. You know your place, at least. This sect has cut down no fewer than eight thousand capable fighters in its time—some say ten thousand—but these years I have cultivated my nature and am not much inclined to slaughter freely anymore. It will do you good to behave." The strange old man smiled a sinister smile, then added: "Allow me to introduce myself. This sect hails from Xishan. My Dao name is the Old Sect of Xishan."
"The Old Sect of Xishan?!" Another collective gasp swept the Moleng Plaza. If the crowd had still harbored some faint, unrealistic hope before, that hope was now utterly shattered. Not a soul dared nurse any further disloyal thoughts.
"What's so special about Xishan?" Wei Zhao could not help but start slightly at the crowd's expressions of sheer horror. He had heard of West Island, but never of any Xishan. Could it be some peculiar place within the South Continent seas?
"Eh? Brother Ling, you really don't know?" Qi Wenmo at his side looked astonished, and quickly lowered his voice to explain: "Xishan is the most famous gathering place of heretic cultivators there is! The most savage and powerful heretic cultivators on all of Cloud Terrace Island assemble at Xishan and have formed the Xishan Heretic Sect. Word is the sect's Grand Helmsman is called the Xishan Ancestor, and the Second Helmsman below him is none other than this Old Sect of Xishan."
"A gathering place of heretic cultivators? There's such a place?" Wei Zhao grew even more bewildered. Such a thing he had truly never heard of. Weren't heretic cultivators vermin scurrying across the street, forever able only to hide in shadows and skulk out of sight?
Heretic cultivators of that kind could find no foothold even in a chaotic region like the South Continent seas, let alone on Cloud Terrace Island, where mighty sects stood thick as a forest. To any normal person's understanding, a heretic gathering place like the Xishan Heretic Sect, existing openly, was plainly begging the great sects to join hands and come wipe them out.
"Oh, it exists, and has for a long time. I heard that many years ago the great sects of Middle Island, North Island, and West Island even joined forces to go purge it, and in the end the whole thing just fizzled out." Qi Wenmo shrugged and sighed.
"What? The Xishan Heretic Sect is that powerful?" Wei Zhao clicked his tongue and asked, somewhat aghast.