Has the Mysterious Azure Heaven Sect Succeeded

Inside the room, the woman turned her head and caught sight of the two visitors. The faint glimmer of hope in her eyes instantly faded, replaced by a look of resignation and disappointment.

Chu Xingchen studied the woman before him intently. By now, he was fairly certain that she was most likely the owner of this burial mound.

But… was this considered a case of resurrection?

The woman quickly composed herself, her tone cool and detached as she asked, "How fares the world outside?"

Chu Xingchen replied tentatively, "About the same as always?"

The woman rose to her feet, her robes shimmering with an ethereal glow. She seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking again, "Have you heard of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect?"

Chu Xingchen’s gaze shifted to Xie Lingyu, his eyes silently questioning—Is this the burial mound of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect? Why is it in the territory of your Tianyan Sect?

Xie Lingyu narrowed her eyes slightly before shaking her head lightly.

Chu Xingchen nodded in understanding. He could roughly grasp Xie Lingyu’s meaning—she didn’t know either. Otherwise, the Tianyan Sect would have long since dismantled this burial mound.

Of course, this was merely Chu Xingchen’s speculation. After all, Xie Lingyu wasn’t the best at conveying messages through expressions.

She was nowhere near as perceptive as his own disciple, Li Xingtian. That stoic, expressionless blockhead had been the same at first, but after spending enough time together, he’d learned to read the room.

Perhaps he and Xie Lingyu simply hadn’t spent enough time together yet.

The woman observed their silent exchange and quickly deduced the answer she sought. She let out a derisive chuckle and said slowly,

"So it seems… they succeeded."

Succeeded? What exactly succeeded?

Chu Xingchen narrowed his eyes. Could this be some kind of trap set by the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect against the Tianyan Sect?

Though she knew the odds were slim, the woman clung to a final shred of hope and asked,

"Are you two sent by the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect to fulfill the agreement?"

Chu Xingchen let his sleeve fall, discreetly gripping the needle-thin form of his weapon, Wanban, before answering calmly,

"Unfortunately… this is Tianyan Sect territory. The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect is quite far from here. Right now, the Tianyan Sect has this place surrounded. Do you intend to struggle futilely, or will you surrender?"

Xie Lingyu knew full well that Chu Xingchen was bluffing, but she played along, adopting an expression of absolute confidence.

She rarely made such exaggerated expressions and had little experience in intimidating others.

As a result, her attempt at looking domineering came off stiff and awkward, her expression hovering between a smirk and a grimace.

She looked like a novice underling, unsure how to properly act the part.

But keeping a straight face would have undermined Chu Xingchen’s act entirely.

However, Xie Lingyu’s expression was so… festive that Chu Xingchen couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her before promptly pressing his lips together to suppress a laugh.

No, this version of Xie Lingyu is just too amusing.

If the situation weren’t so serious, he’d have pulled out a memory crystal to capture this moment.

The woman remained silent for a while, waiting to see if the two had any more witty remarks or meaningful glances to exchange before finally speaking,

"The Tianyan Sect… I’ve heard a little about it. But it seems you’ve misunderstood something."

"What I asked was whether the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect succeeded in seizing the spiritual veins. But since you still remember them, then they must have succeeded. Otherwise, as the defeated party, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect would have been erased from history entirely."

"So… they’ve chosen to break the agreement?"

The woman laughed softly, her expression resigned. "You humans truly excel at breaking promises."

Chu Xingchen studied her expression. If she wasn’t lying, then this matter likely traced back thousands of years.

The earliest records of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect seizing a spiritual vein dated back over two millennia.

As the first sect to successfully claim a spiritual vein, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect had left an indelible mark on the cultivation world as one of the Eighteen Immortal Sects.

"That’s too broad a generalization. It’s not that humans enjoy breaking promises—just that a few bad apples do," Chu Xingchen said with an air of righteousness. "I, for one, always keep my word."

Luo Yue glanced at him before nodding dismissively. Then she continued,

"If the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect broke the agreement first, then I can hardly be blamed for not upholding my end. I’ve heard of the Tianyan Sect—your strength isn’t insignificant. You may summon your sect leader. I have a significant transaction to discuss. That is, if you have the courage for it."

"My name is—Luo Yue."

Chu Xingchen watched as Luo Yue introduced herself with solemn gravity, as though her name had once carried immense prestige.

After all, only someone truly renowned would dare introduce themselves so boldly.

But Chu Xingchen’s knowledge of cultivation history was patchy at best. Back in the day, he hadn’t even memorized the names of the Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central Continent, let alone figures from two thousand years ago.

So he glanced at Xie Lingyu again. If she showed signs of shock or wariness, it would mean Luo Yue was a formidable figure, and they should retreat immediately—perhaps even pass this mess to Bai Xuanling.

But Xie Lingyu’s expression remained that of a freshly minted underling, still awkwardly trying to look intimidating.

From this, Chu Xingchen deduced that Luo Yue’s reputation must not be particularly impressive—at least not enough for Xie Lingyu to bother remembering her name.

As for the "transaction" Luo Yue mentioned, it wasn’t hard to guess.

From the moment she spoke, Luo Yue hadn’t made any effort to conceal her intentions. The so-called transaction was undoubtedly about seizing spiritual veins.

Chu Xingchen cleared his throat and replied, "We certainly have the courage… but the terms of the transaction may need adjusting."

Luo Yue smirked, as if seeing right through him. "The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect took a spiritual vein and likely dominates a region now. Doesn’t the Tianyan Sect covet the same? Or… are you afraid of them?"

Chu Xingchen sidestepped the question with one of his own: "Do you know how long you’ve been here?"

Luo Yue paused to consider before answering, "At least a thousand years… but what of it? Has the outside world become the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s domain?"

Chu Xingchen didn’t mince words. "All eighteen spiritual veins have already been divided. The Tianyan Sect currently holds one. If you’re proposing to carve up another, I’m afraid that’s no longer feasible."

Luo Yue froze, her expression shifting to stunned disbelief. Her brows furrowed sharply, and she scrutinized Chu Xingchen with suspicion—Was this brat lying through his teeth?

If all eighteen major spiritual veins had been claimed…

Didn’t that mean every continent outside the Central Continent had been reduced to a wasteland of scarce spiritual energy?

Would humanity really go that far for their own gain?

She had known back then that the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect had made extensive preparations to monopolize a spiritual vein. On the surface, it had been the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect standing alone against the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

But in truth, multiple top-tier sects had secretly allied behind the scenes.

Even she had been one of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s key hidden assets…

Because the desire to monopolize spiritual veins wasn’t unique to the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect. Many sects had entertained the idea—they just hadn’t wanted to be the first to act.

When the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect volunteered to take the lead, the others hadn’t protested or condemned them.

Instead, they had responded with silent complicity and tacit support.

And there were things Luo Yue didn’t know—

Why had no one answered the Eastern Victory Divine Continent’s pleas for aid?

Why had the Eastern Victory Divine Continent failed to unite from the beginning to the end of the war?

It was only because... the success of one sect, gaining acceptance from the world, that others could follow and have their chance to become the next.

There were eighteen immortal veins, and it was only natural that the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect set the precedent by claiming one.

Not only did the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect have to succeed, but it had to do so indisputably, without facing betrayal from other major sects—only then would the rest have their opportunity.

After all, there were still seventeen more left.

Just as Luo Yue had said—who wouldn’t covet them?