The Secret of the Sect Leader

In the Blackwind Forest, a group of over ten people from Lingxiao Pavilion was making their way through the dense foliage.

Yang Kai was genuinely surprised to find that the "wonderful place" Su Mu had mentioned yesterday was actually Blackwind Forest. As they walked through the forest, Yang Kai noticed a well-trodden path; in such a dense forest, a pathway would only appear if there was frequent traffic.

Does Blackwind Forest see a lot of traffic? As Yang Kai surveyed the surroundings, he confirmed that it indeed did. He noticed figures ahead that were traveling in the same direction as his group.

"Senior Brother, do you know why we happened to encounter Cheng Shaofeng and his group near the edge of Blackwind Forest that day?" Su Mu, walking alongside Yang Kai, asked suddenly.

Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly, a vague suspicion forming in his mind. "Could it be that Cheng Shaofeng and his companions are also heading to Blackwind Forest?"

"Indeed. Our Lingxiao Pavilion is not too far from the Wind and Rain Tower and the Blood Battle Gang, and Blackwind Forest is roughly equidistant from all three. Essentially, if disciples from these three factions want to enter this forest, they all must pass through that intersection."

"What makes this place so attractive? Otherwise, why would everyone be flocking here?"

"Heh heh." Su Mu smiled with satisfaction. "Senior Brother, you might not know, but there is a trading market here in Blackwind Forest. It is a hub for all martial artists from the three factions and even the entire Wumei Town to conduct trade. Disciples can exchange unused cultivation materials for useful items or sell them for gold and silver. This Blackwind Market is quite lively, and you definitely should come and see it."

Li Yuntian added, "Yes, Senior Brother, you can often find some great things here. Last time, Su Shao bought a Tianyuan Fruit for just ten taels of silver."

"Tianyuan Fruit?" Yang Kai's expression flickered with interest.

"Yes, it's a low-grade Earth-level spirit fruit. The seller didn't recognize its value, so I got a good deal," Su Mu said with a hint of pride.

A low-grade Earth-level spirit fruit would normally be worth at least a thousand taels of silver, yet Su Mu had acquired it for just ten taels. This was indeed a substantial bargain.

Yang Kai had never heard of the Blackwind Market before. Having been with Lingxiao Pavilion for over three years and not having mingled with others, he had no knowledge of such things.

It seemed Su Mu's group frequently visited this place, as they appeared quite familiar with it. From their conversations, Yang Kai gathered many intriguing details, and he found himself looking forward to the place.

With his cultivation of the True Yang Technique, Yang Kai could potentially find some useful Yang-attributed elixirs here, although his resources were currently limited. Thinking about the small recovery pills Su Mu had given him yesterday, Yang Kai felt a bit more confident.

The Blackwind Market was a bit of a distance away, so the group chatted as they walked.

Suddenly, Yang Kai asked, "Junior Brother Su, does our Lingxiao Pavilion have an Elder Eleven?"

He recalled the elderly figure he had seen by the Dragon Trap Gorge that day. The elder exuded an air of mystery that was hard to forget.

"Elder Eleven?" Su Mu looked surprised. "Lingxiao Pavilion doesn't have any Elder Eleven."

"Oh, I was just asking casually," Yang Kai said, realizing that the elder's claim of being Elder Eleven was indeed false. However, since the elder had been kind and had no ill intentions toward him, Yang Kai decided not to probe further, not wishing to cause unnecessary trouble.

Li Yuntian laughed, "Senior Brother Yang, you're so focused on your cultivation that you might not be familiar with our Lingxiao Pavilion. We only have five Elders in the Pavilion; there is no Elder Eleven."

Knowing Yang Kai's past suffering from bullying, the group kindly filled him in on more details about Lingxiao Pavilion to prevent him from asking embarrassing questions in the future.

Su Mu, who had the support of an Elder, was well-acquainted with the Pavilion's affairs. He eventually brought up the Pavilion's Master.

Su Mu lowered his voice and said, "I heard from Old Gui that our Pavilion Master is quite an extraordinary figure. He has reached the pinnacle of the Divine Travel Realm and is just a step away from a breakthrough. He is the foremost expert within thousands of miles."

The pinnacle of the Divine Travel Realm! Yang Kai was taken aback.

The cultivation levels for martial artists begin with Body Tempering and ascend through the Open Yuan Realm, Qi Moving Realm, Li and He Realm, True Yuan Realm, and finally, the Divine Travel Realm. Each realm has nine levels, with higher levels being increasingly difficult to achieve. The Divine Travel Realm was already rare, and to learn that Lingxiao Pavilion's Master had reached the pinnacle was astonishing. A further breakthrough would place him among the very top figures.

"The leader of the Blood Battle Gang, Hu, and the head of the Wind and Rain Tower, Xiao Ruohan, are only at the sixth or seventh level of the Divine Travel Realm. They can't be compared to our Pavilion Master," Su Mu said with pride, as a powerful leader would naturally bring honor to his disciples.

"How long until the Pavilion Master breaks through?" Li Yuntian asked eagerly. If the Pavilion Master were to break through suddenly, Lingxiao Pavilion would dominate the area, and who would dare to provoke them?

Su Mu's expression darkened as he slowly shook his head with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Li Yuntian asked, growing concerned at Su Mu's reaction.

"Old Gui said that the Pavilion Master actually reached the pinnacle of the Divine Travel Realm more than a decade ago."

"Then why hasn't he broken through until now?" The group was puzzled.

More than ten years—it seemed that a breakthrough should have been possible by now.

Su Mu merely shook his head. "I can't say."

"Shao Su, how can you leave us hanging like this? It's like undressing a beautiful woman and not showing anything—too cruel!" Zhao Hu exclaimed, and the group eagerly urged Su Mu to continue.

"Fine, but remember, this must not be shared with anyone. It could lead to serious trouble," Su Mu said, adopting a solemn tone. He looked around before lowering his voice. "More than ten years ago, Lingxiao Pavilion faced a major incident. It was due to this event that the Pavilion Master's advancement has been stalled."

"What incident?" The group swallowed nervously.

"Our Pavilion Master has no wife or children and has only accepted two disciples. The incident began with these two disciples. The elder disciple was diligent, and the younger was talented. Both were exceptional, and the Master taught them wholeheartedly without reservation. The two disciples excelled in their cultivation, and neither was inferior to the other. However, due to their differing temperaments, the Master's teaching methods varied. He praised the elder disciple but was stern with the younger one. This led the younger disciple to misunderstand the Master's intentions, feeling that he was favored over the elder disciple. Jealousy turned into resentment, and the younger disciple gradually distanced himself from the elder. His discontent grew, leading him to practice an evil technique he had found."

"Ah…" The group gasped in shock.

Su Mu continued, and everyone listened intently.

Unbeknownst to many, Su Mu had a talent for storytelling, and his narration was engaging and vivid. He conveyed the enmity between the two disciples with clarity and precision.

Yang Kai listened quietly, refraining from interrupting. He believed the story to be true but suspected that Su Mu might have embellished some details.

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