"Stop this at once! You are not fit to fight. Give me Great Elder Xi Guru, and I will return your disciple Jie Qianzhie." Grand Elder Gu demanded.
Yu Yuria almost lost her footing in the air.
"What did you do to her?" she asked, her voice firm.
Grand Elder Gu just smiled and shook his head. "We didn't do anything to alarm her powerful backers. We are not fools to touch your disciple, even though she created a commotion in our Sect. I admire you for raising a good cultivator."
Yu Yuria heaved a sigh of relief.
"Where is she now?!" Her voice firmed.
"She's on the way here." He paused and his eyes glared at her. "She was accompanied by the Two Great Elders of my Sect. Don't be foolish now. Drastic action can cost many lives. Give him back, and I'll return Jie Qianzhie, and we'll leave. You have my word."
Yu Yuria glanced at the suffocating Great Elder Xi Guru and clicked her tongue.
"I will if you bring her back here first."
"Of course."
The two watched from the sky as Great Elder Xi Guru fought for his life.
Grand Elder Gu felt no remorse for the great elder.
Grand Elder Ming joined them with a frown on her face. "Sect Master, what happened?" she asked, fixing her eyes on the pitiful Great Elder Xi Guru.
"We're going to make an exchange. Jie Qianzhie was caught and is on the way here," the Sect Master replied.
Just then, three more cultivators joined them. As Grand Elder Gu had stated, Yu Yuria felt no change in Jie Qianzhie.
Grand Elder Gu nodded at the two and untied Jie Qianzhie from the treasure rope. "You did well, my disciple. Did they harm you?"
Jie Qianzhie shook her head.
Yu Yuria smiled. "Of course, they won't unless they want to be wiped out in an instant."
"Now, hand to me the great elder." Grand Elder Gu
"You're free to get him and leave immediately." Yu Yuria coldly answered.
Elder Gu stomped his feet in frustration, trying to speak but unable to get his words out clearly.
The two great elders wanted Yu Yuria to fix Great Elder Xi Guru but Grand Elder Gu intervened.
"She cannot. This feared technique was passed down to her by her predecessor. Even they cannot mend the toxins running through his blood vessels. We should take him back to Sect Master."
The enemies immediately leave after Grand Elder Gu bows his head, leaving the nervous Jie Qianzhie, exhausted Yu Yuria, and Grand Elder Ming.
In Yu Yuria's temple, the three sat in the lotus posture, absorbing Spiritual Qi from the Spirit Stone through their dantian.
"How much damage have you done to their sect?" Yu Yuria asked.
Jie Qianzhie opened her right eye and smiled.
"I destroyed half of their sect and polluted their surroundings with toxins."
Yu Yuria smiled and opened her eyes. "Impressive. Using that treasure was worth it."
"But Master, how do we proceed from now on?" Jie Qianzhie asked and moved from lotus posture to seiza.
Yu Yuria sensed a presence on the temple lawn and instructed the others to bring Jin Boqin.
She was puzzled by his unexpected visit. She wondered if he already knew about something, but he shouldn't have arrived until the next morning at the earliest.
Her seat in the hall was slightly elevated above the guest seats where Jin Boqin sat.
Jie Qianzhie and Grand Elder Ming felt the tense atmosphere.
The grand elder sighed before starting the conversation. "Sect Master Jin Boqin, what brings you here?"
Jin Boqin without moving his passionate gaze away from Yu Yuria answers, "I'm offering you a chance to defeat your enemy."
Yu Yuria's expression turned dark. She had heard so much about receiving help that it was starting to affect her mood. "Are you serious? I've heard that word a lot today, but none of it has been helpful."
"I am but first, what happened in your sect? Did they do it?"
Yuria sighed and walked elegantly to the balcony, overlooking the grand view that was now ruined by the rubble.
Yes, I hate to admit it, but they are too powerful for us to face alone. Their regenerative ability is overpowered and defies logic - they can regrow limbs in an instant. I mean their cultivation method is too unconventional, scary, and unfathomable. Even the demonic sect doesn't have power in their arsenal. Only by destroying their cultivation root directly can kill them." Yu Yuria paused and turned around to face them. "Now, tell me. How can your offered chance help us?"
Jin Boqin's confidence wavered as he realized that the Snake Devouring Sect might be more formidable than he had initially thought, especially after hearing about Yu Yuria's encounter.
Even so. He stood up. His gaze was firm and confident.
"If I can bring help would you let me lend a hand?"
Yu Yuria meets Jin Boqin's firm gaze.
What's in it for you? I don't think our past rendezvous are relevant."
"They are relevant, at least in part. Just trust me on this, okay?"
Yu Yuria raised her right eyebrow. "Trust? That's asking awfully a lot these days. And what about the other part?"
Jin Boqin sighed and shook his head.
I was told that the Snake Devouring Sect practices a more dangerous and sinister ancient method of cultivation compared to other demonic sects nowadays," Jin Boqin explained.
"Who told you this?" Yu Yuria asked with a frown.
"I can't reveal that information right now. I need to ensure the safety of the person who shared it with me," Jin Boqin replied.
Yu Yuria was skeptical. "You came here offering help, but there seems to be a hidden agenda behind your kindness. How can I trust you if I don't know if this person is trustworthy? Why should I blindly trust you?"
Jin Boqin understood her concerns, but he couldn't reveal the source of his information as the Dungeon Master had explicitly instructed him to keep his existence a secret.
Please trust me. I'm willing to risk my sect to help you. Isn't that enough?"
Yu Yuria fell silent for a moment. "All right, but you have to give me more details about the information you've learned."
Jin Boqin smiled. "Of course, and I need you to tell me about your earlier encounter in detail."
…
"Outrageous!" exclaimed Jin Boqin.
It had been quite some time since he had heard about Yu Yuria's battle against the Inner Elder and Great Elder of the Snake Devouring Sect.
"Can an Early Nascent Soul Realm cultivator summon a powerful dragon and use an overpowered regenerative technique?" He added.
Without the Dungeon Master's careful attention to detail, he wouldn't have learned about their unconventional cultivation methods until later.
It's not surprising if the Dungeon Master wanted them gone.
Now that Jin Boqin has realized the dreadful consequences of the Snake Devouring practice and its impact on the future, his remorse for annihilating the entirety of the sect has drastically changed.
Did you sense Grand Elder Gu's cultivation level and strength?" asked Yu Yuria.
"No, I was too focused on defeating Xi Guru," she replied. "But I believe he has reached the peak of the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Realm. Besides that, he seems unchanged—still the same composed old man."
I was only able to surpass Xi Guru by using my predecessor's technique," Yu Yuria explained.
Jin Boqin's expression turned serious as he remembered the deadly technique of the previous Sect Master of Three Head Snake.
The technique, known as Reticence Lotus, had the ability to deprive anyone of their ability to breathe.
It was not a failed technique when it dissipated; it was actually a preparation. Its pollen dispersed and seeped into the target without their knowledge.
Once the conjurer sensed all the pollens trapped in the target's lungs and heart, they could activate the effect by conjuring hundreds of small lotus flowers acting as catalysts.
Jin Boqin fell silent, deep in thought. "Before we make a plan, I need to know how committed you are to defeating them," he said.
Yu Yuria scoffed. "Are you still questioning my determination to take them down? You won't help us if our interests don't align? Did your motivation to help us depend on whether our interests aligned?!"
Frustration built up and Jin Boqin felt the fluctuation of Spiritual Qi around her.
He looks serious as he says, "Yes. If you're not willing to take the same risks as I am, we won't stand a chance against them. They're more dangerous than you realize. We need more allies who share our goal."
"What do you suggest?" Yu Yuria asked and tried to calm herself.
"We need Han Kim to join us in our conquest," he replied.
"No, we don't need her. Don't mention her name again!" Yu Yuria snapped, glaring at Jin Boqin.
Do you understand the importance of this? Put aside your issues and let her join us. Together, we are unstoppable!"
"Why would you even consider that? We can inform the Tower instead of involving her in our plans!"
Jin Boqin understood that the Tower was Yu Yuria's last resort, and he didn't want them to know about the Snake Devouring Sect unless absolutely necessary.
The challenge was convincing Yu Yuria not to seek the Tower's assistance without compromising even a tiny piece of information about the Dungeon Master.
"Listen, if the Tower joins, they might adopt the forbidden cultivation method of the Snake Devouring for their own advantage. The enemy's method is dangerous and contagious. We cannot afford to let another powerful group have access to this ability you mentioned!"
Yu Yuria went silent.
So Jin Boqin when he didn't hear Yu Yuria retort.
Grand Elder Ming and Jie Qianzhie are standing on the side, listening intently as the fate of their Sects hangs in the balance.
"What do you intend to do with this…ancient, forbidden, and contagious method you speak of?" Yu Yuria asked, her face serious.
"I plan to destroy it so that no one will be foolish enough to practice it," he replied without hesitation, turning towards the direction of the Snake Devouring Sect.
Will we be able to eliminate the remains of the Sect?"
"Yes, we must eliminate them and leave no survivors."
The atmosphere grew tense.
It became clear that Yu Yuria understood Jin Boqin's intentions as she didn't respond which left Grand Elder Ming shocked and Jie Qianzhie became agitated.
After the Great Catastrophe, the Tower took the lead in restoring balance to the Silica Continent. They enforced moral standards for both ordinary people and cultivators, emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior for the benefit of all.
For centuries, the unwritten rule on the Silica Continent has been ingrained in everyone, leading powerful sects to feel obligated to protect ordinary people from demonic sects and beasts, even though they are not obliged to do so.
"Sect Master Yu Yuria, it is not right, it's repugnant to eliminate younger disciples and their ordinary subjects even if they are enemies. We have rules in this, we sealed their dantian to deprive them of cultivating and sent the ordinary people to the Tower and let the Tower attend to matters in hand!"
Jie Qianzhie, who came from humble beginnings, was the most affected. When she sought to destroy the Snake Devouring Sect, she specifically targeted the Sect Master and Elders' halls to ensure that no innocent bystanders were harmed.
"We'll be targeted if we do this." Yu Yuria said to Jin Boqin, completely ignoring Grand Elder Ming.
"Sect Master!" exclaimed Grand Elder Ming.
Jin Boqin sighed and looked at them seriously. "We need to eliminate every last disciple of the Sect, but we are not yet at the point of involving ordinary people." He then summoned five treasures and said, "I'll leave these treasures behind in case they attack before midnight."
Yu Yuria frowned and asked, "Where are you going? You can't leave on the eve of battle."
Jin Boqin replied, "I'm going to fetch Sect Master Han Kim. It's better if I explain things to her."
Yu Yuria clicked her tongue and said, "All right."
Jin Boqin turned to Yu Yuria and said earnestly, "Hold the fort with everything you've got. It must hold until help arrives."
Yu Yuria rolled her eyes and responded, "Just go."