159: Bonus points

Meanwhile, in a solemn and majestic hall within The Righteous Sects, the elders, who usually managed many important affairs of the sect, once again gathered with grave expressions.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy, and the flickering candlelight seemed to tremble, uneasy about the weighty topics about to be discussed.

“I presume everyone has already heard about the Fenghua Sect, right?”

The Purple-Robed Elder, who was at the head, slowly spoke.

The Purple-Robed Elder’s gaze was profound, revealing a hint of worry as he scanned the people present.

“This newly emerged force, with its ruthless and brutal style of action, is definitely not in line with our Righteous Faction’s way.”

A white-haired elder frowned deeply, his face filled with displeasure and concern.

They were already aware of the tragic state of the Fenghua Sect disciples whose inner cores had been dug out. After all, after Su Xia and the others left, The Righteous Faction’s scouts had immediately gone to the battlefield to investigate, and the bloody and cruel scene was still vivid in their minds.

“Exactly! First, they massacred our Qingshan Sect, and now they’ve wiped out an Evil Path Sect, also digging out their inner cores. Such actions are simply outrageous! Such an Evil Path force must not be allowed into the sphere of influence of our Righteous Faction.”

Another elder stood up emotionally, clenching his fists, indignantly expressing his firm support for the previous elder’s view.

At this point, everyone in the hall began to whisper and discuss amongst themselves.

For a moment, various voices rose and fell, but no matter from what angle they discussed, everyone’s opinion was surprisingly consistent: they absolutely could not let this Evil Path force extend its reach into the territory of The Righteous Sects.

After all, no one present wanted their sect to follow in the footsteps of the Qingshan Sect and suffer the tragic fate of being massacred and wiped out.

“Hmm, I deeply understand your views. Actually… there’s another matter. According to the intelligence from my scout embedded within that Evil Path Sect, this mysterious force even proposed to the Evil Path Sect to join forces and attack us, The Righteous Faction.”

The Purple-Robed Elder, who was at the head, spoke with a grave expression, enunciating each word clearly.

His voice was not loud, yet it struck everyone’s hearts like a heavy hammer.

Upon hearing the Purple-Robed Elder’s words, the faces of everyone present instantly turned ashen, as if enveloped by an invisible fear.

“What?!”

One elder was so shocked he nearly jumped up, his eyes wide with fury.

“As I expected, this newly emerged force is definitely not benevolent; they actually plotted to collude with the Evil Path to deal with us!”

“Hmph, what’s there to fear?!”

Another elder, though trying to appear calm, had tiny beads of sweat on his forehead that betrayed his inner tension.

“Haven’t those Evil Path Sects always been suppressed by our Righteous Faction? Even with this mysterious force as an ally, how much trouble can they cause?”

The Purple-Robed Elder’s words undoubtedly ignited a raging fire in everyone’s hearts. The aversion and hostility towards this mysterious force instantly spread like a prairie fire.

“Silence!”

Seeing everyone bickering and arguing incessantly, the Purple-Robed Elder frowned deeply and roared loudly.

This sound echoed through the hall, carrying undeniable authority.

Everyone immediately fell silent, as quiet as cicadas in winter.

This was not for any other reason than that this Purple-Robed Elder was the Great Elder of the Yiqi Sect.

As its sect name suggests, the Yiqi Sect was the leader among The Righteous Sects, firmly occupying the prominent position of the number one sect.

The Yiqi Realm Experts within its sect were even more extraordinary in strength. The total number of Yiqi Realm Experts in the entire sect in the cultivation world was only surpassed by the Soul Hall and the Corpse Puppet Sect.

The Purple-Robed Elder scanned the crowd with a stern gaze and slowly spoke.

“No matter what, from the moment that mysterious force massacred the Qingshan Sect, they have already stood on the opposite side of our Righteous Faction, becoming an irreconcilable enemy.

Everyone, please quickly return to your respective sects and make full preparations to meet the severe challenges that are sure to come… In my opinion, the earth-shattering war between good and evil is probably not far off.”

With that, he slightly tilted his head, his gaze directed outside the hall, as if he had already foreseen the coming storm of blood and gore… Aboard the massive fleet, Li Yang sat leisurely in the command cabin, gently toying with an orb in his hand.

This orb, under the soft cabin lights, emitted a warm and mysterious luster. Compared to the orbs he had collected before, it was like night and day.

It was noticeably larger, its body almost perfectly round, every line seemingly carved by nature’s uncanny craftsmanship, exuding a natural beauty.

“As expected of an orb nurtured within a Yiqi Realm Expert, it is indeed extraordinary.”

Li Yang couldn’t help but praise softly, a hint of unconcealed admiration and satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Recalling the four types of orbs he had collected previously, from the Body Nurturing Realm to the Qi Transformation Realm, they all looked almost identical, lacking any distinctive features.

But this orb from a Yiqi Realm Expert finally broke that monotony, bringing Li Yang a different kind of surprise.

“Where is Wang Gang?”

Li Yang suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping towards Su Xia beside him, and asked casually.

“Teacher, Wang Gang is still holed up in the lab.”

Su Xia quickly and respectfully replied, a hint of helplessness on her face.

“He vowed that he wouldn’t come out until he had thoroughly dissected and studied the three Yiqi Realm Expert corpses.”

“This boy, he’s as obsessed with research as ever.”

Li Yang’s lips curved slightly upwards, revealing a hint of a doting smile.

Then, his expression softened as he looked at Su Xia and said,

“Oh right, Su Xia, you did an excellent job in this operation. The Soldiers of the empire, despite such intense combat, suffered no fatalities, save for a few minor injuries. This is all thanks to your meticulous planning and command.”

As he spoke, Li Yang gently patted Su Xia’s shoulder, his eyes full of appreciation.

“Then… Teacher, do you think…?”

Seeing Li Yang’s amiable demeanor, Su Xia’s heart stirred. She quickly seized the opportunity, her face showing a hesitant expression. Her words lingered on her tongue, then she deliberately paused, as if cautiously probing.

Seeing Su Xia’s hesitant expression, Li Yang, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately understood her meaning.

He smiled and shook his head, saying,

“Don’t worry, your performance in this operation was evident to all. I will give you extra credit.”

“Thank you, Teacher!”

Upon hearing this, Su Xia’s face instantly broke into a brilliant smile, her eyes filled with joy and excitement.

She had put in so much effort for this operation, and now finally receiving her teacher’s recognition and extra credit, all her efforts seemed to have been repaid in the best possible way at this moment.