24: Comprehensive improvement

"Continue." The old man's face was expressionless; no one could tell if he agreed with this conclusion.

"Qing Xuanzi of Lingtuo Peak will definitely not give up, and the only person around him qualified to take charge of Lingtuo Peak is Zhan Yu, the leader of the Shadows. If Zhan Yu becomes the Peak Master of Lingtuo Peak, the power of the Shadows in the hands of the Sect Master will be greatly reduced. Moreover, Lingtuo Peak managed to rank in the top five in the last Sect Grand Competition. If Lingtuo Peak ranks last this time, let's see how Zhan Yu and the Sect Master explain themselves!" The middle-aged man was indeed the current head of the Wang family. After regaining his composure, his thoughts were clear, and even the old man nodded slightly.

"There's another point, and a more important one at that, which is the attitude of the other peaks. Today, with a single sentence, you can depose a Peak Master and the Hall of Relief Master, two Elders of the Hall of Elders. Such power will inevitably provoke others to unite in resistance. Qing Xuanzi will find himself constrained at every turn and his path fraught with difficulties when he takes charge of Flowing Cloud Sect in the future," the old man added.

"Father is brilliant!" The middle-aged man's face was filled with fervor, his reverence for his father having reached its peak.

"Go, handle this matter well, and I will not pursue your unauthorized actions regarding Wenbai. Remember, there won't be a next time." Just as the middle-aged man slowly retreated from the main hall, the old man spoke faintly, his understated words causing the middle-aged man to break out in a cold sweat. He quickly cupped his hands in acknowledgment and hurried out. Only after stepping out of the hall did he slowly exhale, realizing his clothes were drenched in sweat.

"Father is as majestic as ever." The middle-aged man only dared to think this to himself, returning to implement his father's arrangements.

Flowing Cloud Sect, Qingyun Peak.

"Zhan Yu, the Wang family actually handed over Lingtuo Peak. What do you think?" Inside the Sect Master's main hall, Qing Xuanzi asked, examining the Jade Slip in his hand.

Zhan Yu, who had been hidden somewhere, revealed himself, kneeling on one knee in the hall, and replied, "Reporting to the Sect Master, Lingtuo Peak has already been completely plundered by the Wang family. This subordinate believes that if Lingtuo Peak returns to Qingyun Peak's jurisdiction, it will inevitably consume a large amount of Qingyun Peak's manpower and resources, a thankless task. This is the Wang family's conspiracy. It would be better to give it up, select another Elder to take charge, and let it be." Zhan Yu exposed the Wang family's conspiracy in one sentence; he did not agree to accept Lingtuo Peak.

"Zhan Yu, this is not a conspiracy, but an open scheme. I cannot give up this Lingtuo Peak. Not only that, I want to build this peak into the third largest peak in Flowing Cloud Sect, second only to Qingyun and Piaomiao!" Qing Xuanzi gripped the Jade Slip tightly, his words revealing immense confidence.

Zhan Yu was also affected by this Aura. He understood Qing Xuanzi; as long as he made up his mind to do something, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish. As a subordinate, his only task was to share the Master's burdens and resolve his difficulties; there was no other way.

"Zhan Yu, do you want to be the Peak Master of this Lingtuo Peak?" Just as Zhan Yu was racking his brain for a suitable candidate for the Peak Master of Lingtuo Peak, Qing Xuanzi's words struck him heavily, leaving him speechless.

"Sect Master, this is absolutely not permissible. The Shadows, which I command, are a sharp sword in the Sect Master's hands, but this sword has not been forged for long enough. If I leave now, the Shadows, which have just begun to show some improvement, might revert to their former deplorable state. I implore the Sect Master to reconsider!" Zhan Yu pleaded earnestly.

"It's fine. You have already laid a good foundation for the Shadows, and I will choose another powerful individual to take over. Zhan Yu, your abilities are not limited to commanding a small Shadow organization. Go, step forward; this is the greatest help you can give me." Qing Xuanzi looked at Zhan Yu, the person he had grown up with since childhood, who had walked alongside him through countless difficulties and dangers, his most trusted confidant, and spoke in a gentle tone.

Upon hearing this, Zhan Yu lowered his head in thought for a moment, then stood up, bowed slightly to the Sect Master Qing Xuanzi, and said, "This subordinate respectfully obeys the Sect Master's decree; I will go through fire and water, without hesitation!"

"With your help, one day, I will sweep away all accumulated Disadvantages and scourges within Flowing Cloud Sect, uproot the Wang family and all their ilk, and at the same time, allow our Flowing Cloud Sect to regain its prestige on this continent and reclaim the title of the continent's number one Sect!" Qing Xuanzi also stood up and declared grandly.

Zhan Yu remained silent, his clasped hands tightening. With Flowing Cloud Zhenren's retirement, Flowing Cloud Sect had already shown signs of decline in the last Orthodox Alliance Grand Competition. Only old-timers like Elder Teng still considered themselves the continent's number one Sect. Only they knew that Flowing Cloud Sect now faced internal vipers and external tigers; the Sect's situation was already precarious, like a stack of eggs, and a slight misstep could lead to the abyss. Only Zhan Yu knew that Qing Xuanzi worried about this daily; this was the first time he had heard Qing Xuanzi express himself with such emotion. As Zhan Yu, who had Cultivated and grown up in Flowing Cloud Sect since childhood, how could he not share this desire?

This political storm, like a butterfly constantly flapping its wings, continuously stirred ripples within Flowing Cloud Sect. This wave swept from Qingyun Peak, Piaomiao Peak, and the Ji Shi Pavilion towards other forces. No one could remain aloof in this great tide; they either had to attach themselves to one faction or band together for warmth. The connections between the other six peaks grew daily, and the once tranquil life of Cultivation came to an abrupt halt.

Five days later.

"Kid, where are you aiming that punch?" A figure slammed into the wall at an extremely fast speed, and an old man in the distance cursed angrily.

"Isn't this what Elder Teng taught me? Attack where the enemy must defend, and when dealing with enemies, every move must be lethal." A young man crawled out of the human-shaped wreckage of the rock wall; it was Yang Kai.

After several days, Yang Kai's cultivation was still at the third layer of the Qi Refinement Stage. During this time, he had focused all his energy on Body Refining Cultivation.

This diligent Cultivation had been quite fruitful. A few days ago, if he had taken such an attack head-on, his bones would have been broken, leaving him like a dead fish. Now, he seemed perfectly fine, which was quite telling.

"Alright, you've completely mastered your physical strength during this period, and even your methods of defense and force redirection are superb. The potential of this body has been fully unearthed; you can continue to Cultivate now." Elder Teng looked at Yang Kai, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

During this time, Elder Teng had arranged a large amount of training, putting great effort into honing his pugilistic skills, flexibility, defensive force redirection, and strength control. Now, Yang Kai's combat power had seen a rapid increase.

Yang Kai underwent extensive training every day during this period, but he did not neglect his battles in the Martial Arts Arena, having now achieved sixty consecutive victories.

"Elder Teng, with my current strength, I should be able to achieve a hundred consecutive victories, right?" Yang Kai asked eagerly.

Elder Teng, however, shook his head and said, "Still not possible!"