Chapter 1509: As Deep as the Abyss, as Vast as the Sea

Upon entering, Zhuge JuncaiBegan to wail and weep,Tears and snot running freely,Crying with a heart broken into a thousand pieces,Inconsolable in his grief,Crying until Lord Jiang was left speechless.Crying until even Wei Bofang could bear it no longer,Stepping forward, he said,"Enough, enough! The Hall Master has a thousand matters to attend to each day,Where would he find the time to listen to you clear your throat here?"In private, Wei Bofang's performance was even more dramatic and heartfelt than Zhuge Jun's,But in public, he was more "proper" than anyone,A completely upright official.Zhuge Jun completely ignored him,His eyes still brimming with tears as he looked at Jiang Wang,His voice filled with grievance,"Hall Master, why did you not seek out this subordinate upon your return?You must know that this subordinate was the first to pledge loyalty to you.Everything this subordinate has was bestowed by the Hall Master,And this subordinate is willing to give everything for the Hall Master,Without regard for life or death!In the entire Lingkong Hall, who can compare to my loyalty to you?""Zhuge Jun, what is the meaning of your words?"Wei Bofang was highly displeased."Does this old man's loyalty to the Hall Master fall short by a single fraction compared to yours?"Seeing that the two great pillars were about to start vying for favor,Lord Jiang immediately said,"Your loyalty, this lord is aware of it all.The things you have done, this lord has seen with his own eyes."He subtly withdrew his leg,"I have come this time, firstly to see you both,And secondly to fulfill my promise from back then,To handle the troubles in the process of the sect's development,Troubles that you are unable to handle."His gaze swept across the two of them, emphasizing,"I have other matters to attend to, and my time is very limited."Zhuge Jun immediately stopped crying.Kneeling on the ground, he exchanged a glance with Wei Bofang,Swiftly exchanging intentions through their eyes.In the end, it was Wei Bofang who spoke,"As for troubles that we cannot handle, it is only the matter of that Lifeless Sect.They have developed too quickly!We only began to notice this sect in July of last year,And by this year, they can already contend with us,Even surpassing us.We heavily compensated a strong expert to serve as protector,And lavishly bribed the officials, requesting the City Lord's Mansion to mediate.Only then have we barely maintained the current situation...This subordinate is incompetent, and requests the Hall Master's punishment!""Who is in charge of their affairs here? What is their strength?"Jiang Wang asked casually.Zhuge Jun replied,"The leader of this Lifeless Sect is a figure known as the Earth Nether Emissary...Five Palaces perfected, possessing a divine ability.This subordinate truly cannot contend with him."Zhang Linchuan truly harbors ambitious aspirations,This can be seen from the positions of the seventy-two Earth Fiend Emissaries.Putting aside their strength for now, this structure is built with the aim of becoming a top-tier power.In the past, the White Bone Path only had three great elders and twelve bone masks!However, if we were to calculate seriously, without considering the White Bone Evil God,Today's Lifeless Sect is indeed much stronger than the White Bone Path of the past.The three great elders of the former Lifeless Sect, perhaps even combined, would not be a match for the current Zhang Linchuan.Moreover, previously I heard Wang Changji say that Lu Yan, who betrayed the White Bone Evil God,Has also achieved Divine Arrival with his innate Nether Eyes.Adding to this the seventy-two Earth Fiend Emissaries who have now surfaced...Are there perhaps thirty-six Heavenly Star Emissaries above them?The entire strength of the Lifeless Sect has completely surpassed the original White Bone Path.Of course, this is partly because the White Bone Evil God only sought his own successful descent into the world,And did not put much effort into the sect.But the ability of this person, Zhang Linchuan, can still be clearly seen.From the destruction of the White Bone Path to today, how long has the Lifeless Sect been founded?From the State of Yong to the State of Cheng, and then to the State of Jiao, which was just cleared by Wang Changji,Zhang Linchuan's arrangements are almost everywhere.Although most of them are developing in some small countries,The hidden power should not be underestimated.Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun have been able to develop the Lingkong Hall in a proper manner,They are certainly talents, but they are limited by their vision,Only seeing this small patch of land in the State of Cheng.They still thought that the Earth Nether Emissary was the leader of the Lifeless Sect,Unaware that the power of the Lifeless Sect is no longer confined to a single country.Moreover, can just any Earth Fiend Emissary possess a divine ability?Is divine ability so easy to obtain?Is this Earth Nether Emissary, in charge of affairs in the State of Cheng, particularly powerful,Or is there another reason?"I understand." Jiang Wang said calmly,"Apart from that?"Zhuge Jun sighed deeply,"It is easy to invite a god, but difficult to send one away!"Reverend Bainuo was a renowned lone cultivator in the State of Cheng,Who had opened four palaces and possessed a divine ability.Divine ability cultivators are not some kind of common vegetable.He had been traversing the cultivation world of the State of Cheng for over ten years,His name was well-known and he was a notable figure.He was invited by Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun with heavy goldTo help resist the Lifeless Sect.At first, it was fine, he did his job while receiving offerings.But as time passed, Zhuge Jun only had two palaces,Wei Bofang was nearing old age,And the four great offerings were all ordinary Inner Palace cultivators,None had obtained a divine ability.Reverend Bainuo naturally developed some ideas,Wishing to occupy the magpie's nest.Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun on the one hand had to rely on Reverend Bainuo to resist the Lifeless Sect,On the other hand, within the sect, it became increasingly difficult to openly oppose Reverend Bainuo.In the world of cultivation, strength is paramount after all!On this day, Wei Bofang suddenly summoned all high-level members of the Lingkong Hall,Above the rank of hall masters, saying there was a major matter to announce.The nine great hall masters and four great offerings were all present.After the only two elders, Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun, were also seated,Reverend Bainuo finally arrived late.He walked in swaggering from the hall entrance,His tone nonchalant,"Old Wei, what is to be announced today? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?Hahaha, could it be that you are publicly nominating me to be the Hall Master, giving me a surprise?"Wei Bofang sat in the position of the chief elder on the left side,His expression stern,"Your joke is not funny at all."The position of the second elder was opposite him.And the position of the only protector in Lingkong Hall now,Was on his left hand side.One could say that in the entire Lingkong Hall, he was second only to the elders.Unfortunately, human hearts are never satisfied, and desires are insatiable.The position of the Hall Master at the very top in this council hall,Had been vacant for a long time.It was well-known that it belonged to someone with the surname Dougu and a powerful background,But unfortunately, that person had not appeared again for a long time.After pulling the tiger's skin for a long time, people could see it was not a tiger.And thus various thoughts began to arise.Reverend Bainuo pouted, and pointed impolitely at the chair representing the Lingkong Hall Master,"Then you tell me, how long will this position be empty? Who are we waiting for?!That so-called Dougu So-and-so?When you came begging for my help, where was he?When I was fighting to the death for the sect, battling against the experts of the Lifeless Sect, where was he?""Perhaps he died long ago!" He waved his hand in a slicing motion,His aura suddenly becoming sharp,"Or perhaps, it has always been just a lie you fabricated!"Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun suddenly summoned all high-level members for a council meeting,And the several high-level members who had secretly defected to him,Had not received even a hint of wind beforehand.He instinctively felt something was wrong.Now, he directly declared his ambition to the public,Which was both a test and a clear statement of position,Allowing others to see where they should stand.He was determined to be the master of this Lingkong Hall,And was too lazy to slowly gnaw away at it anymore.No matter what schemes Wei Bofang and the others had,In the end, it would still be decided by hard strength!Unexpectedly.Facing Reverend Bainuo's aggressive questioning.Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun surprisingly did not speak.Instead, tap, tap, tap—The sound of boots stepping on the ground echoed clearly in the main hall.A figure wearing a cloak and a hempen robe walked out from the back hall,There was no overbearing aura about him,And his steps were merely natural and unhurried.Reverend Bainuo frowned and glanced at him,Then said to Wei Bofang,"Where did this solitary ghost come from?How can just anyone enter such an important place in our sect, a venue for high-level council meetings?""Look at me."He only heard a voice say this.The voice was calm and clear, with an unquestionable power.He subconsciously shifted his gaze, wanting to seeWho this person was, and what this person intended to do.He only saw a flash of frost-cold sword light!Clang!It seemed there was the sound of a long sword being drawn from its sheath.He seemed to have heard it, but perhaps he had already missed it.His world brightened once in that moment, and then darkened again.It never brightened again after that.In the sight of the people within the hall, they only saw Reverend Bainuo's neck.Suddenly a line of blood split open, and blood droplets spurted out like a fountain,Opening up a brief fan shape in the air.The blood droplets fell.His body fell with a crash.And that figure wearing a cloak and a hempen robe,Simply walked forward at his own pace,Gracefully walking towards the position that symbolized the Lingkong Hall Master.His hand was still several inches away from the sword hilt,The long sword at his waist seemed as though it had never been drawn.That hint of cold light seemed to exist only in illusion.The entire hall was deathly silent.The high-level members of the Lingkong Hall, seated on both sides of the hall,Including Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun,No one spoke.A renowned divine ability cultivator,Had died so swiftly and decisively.Without even a single cry of agony.An unspeakable shock!In such a moment, only the corpse of Reverend Bainuo lay quietly on the main path in the center of the hall,Opposite the great chair on the high platform.Jiang Wang walked to the throne of the Lingkong Hall Master,But did not sit down.Instead, he turned around, looking down from above.Compared to the places he had seen before,The hall of Lingkong Hall was by no means luxurious.But this was his territory.His two hands controlled the eight powers of this place,Named Noble, Salary, Abolition, Appointment, Killing, Birth, Giving, Taking.Wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes directly.This kind of condescending majesty could easily cause one to lose themselves.Of course, for Jiang Wang, who had met the Great Qi Emperor multiple times,This little bit of power before him was truly insignificant.The so-called power of life and death, giving and taking,In such a weak environment, was truly nothing to care about.He merely tried his best to recallHow the Qi Emperor held the universe in his hands,How he balanced grace and might.After a moment of silence, allowing the pressure to spread within everyone's hearts,He then looked at Zhuge Jun,"Did I forget to ask something?"He thought for a moment,"Oh, right. What divine ability did Reverend Bainuo possess?"Zhuge Jun's expression changed drastically, and he immediately left his seat and prostrated himself,"This subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths!Because the Hall Master's divine power is peerless, this subordinate was overly proud,Not taking Reverend Bainuo seriously,And thus forgot to report his divine ability information..."Jiang Wang raised a hand, interrupting his explanation,"It doesn't matter. It's not important anymore."He had never expected loyalty from people like Zhuge Jun and Wei Bofang.He himself had not given corresponding trust,Because from the beginning, he understood that these people could be used, but not confided in.At this moment, he shifted his gaze, looking at the high-level members here,And slowly said,"I am your Hall Master, not fake, nor am I dead."Zhuge Jun, who was already kneeling on the ground, knocked his head down with a thud,"This subordinate pays respects to the Hall Master,Only wishing the Hall Master boundless fortune and longevity!"Wei Bofang also prostrated himself immediately after,His voice, however, was firm and powerful,"Liankong Hall Chief Elder Wei Bofang, respectfully bows to the Hall Master!"The seven hall masters and four offerings present,All followed suit and prostrated themselves.And the only protector,Lay supine among them.Jiang Wang raised his hand,"Rise, everyone."His gaze was not aggressive,Falling gently on everyone."I will not come to the sect often, but I will be watching this place.Liankong Hall may not be a very powerful sect,Its future is hard to say,But I hope it will become your best choice.Perhaps we have met before, perhaps not...I hope we can meet again in the future."He only said these few sentences, then waved his hand,"Alright, you may all leave. Elder Wei and Elder Zhuge, stay.""Hall Master, this subordinate has something to say!"Wei Bofang, in a show of utmost loyalty, spoke up to stop them,"It is not appropriate to end the council meeting yet.Among those present, some have secretly colluded with Reverend Bainuo,And have long lost loyalty to the Hall Master,And have no sense of belonging to the Lingkong Hall at all.This subordinate is heartbroken and it is truly difficult to hold back words,But I must expose them to serve as a warning to others!"Jiang Wang looked at him calmly,"Such matters, without evidence, should not be spoken carelessly.""Since this subordinate dares to report to the Hall Master,Naturally, I have already obtained evidence!Please allow this subordinate to present it."Wei Bofang turned his head, and said to outside the hall,"Bring it in!"Immediately, two strong men carried a large chest into the hall."Just now, this old man had someone raid Reverend Bainuo's residence.The bribes he received, the proof of his collusion with others..."Wei Bofang pointed at the chest and said,"Are all within!"Several people on the scene immediately changed color drastically,Almost unable to stand steady.But none dared to take risks.How the strongest Reverend Bainuo of Lingkong Hall died, they saw clearly!There was not even a sliver of room for struggle!Jiang Wang glanced at the chest, and simply smiled,"So much."His gaze slightly narrowed,And the entire chest immediately burst into flames!Soon, there was not even a trace of dust left,Burned completely clean.Wei Bofang was a little flustered,"Hall Master, this..."Jiang Wang raised his hand to stop him,"No need to say. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has a time when they make mistakes."His meaningful gaze, penetrating the cloak,Fell on Wei Bofang's face,"And I am often willing to give my friends a chance."He did not pay attention to what Wei Bofang was thinking.He stepped down from the high platform,And walked to the front of an offering whose heart was beating extremely fast just now,But whose expression was very relaxed."What is your name?"This offering's heart almost exploded,But he spoke clearly,"This subordinate's name is Liu Meng."Jiang Wang only nodded slightly, and then said,"Elder Wei and Elder Zhuge are extremely busy with a myriad of tasks and are unable to be in two places at once.Liankong Hall should indeed have three elders,To help share the burden."Saying so, he reached out and patted the offering's shoulder,"I see that you are very suitable to be the third elder."Liu Meng completely collapsed in that instant,Whether it was fear or surprise, he could not tell.He simply followed the motion and knelt down,Sincerely saying,"Thank you, Hall Master, for your recognition!"Jiang Wang was noncommittal, and said again,"The others may leave, the three elders will stay."Soon, the main hall became empty.Jiang Wang stood with his back to the three,His tone still calm,"My time is very limited, so I will only speak once."He raised three fingers, and then lowered them one by one."Firstly, I will deal with the Earth Nether Emissary tonight.""Secondly, you do not need to rush to exterminate the Lifeless Sect.While they are leaderless, find a way to arrange some people to infiltrate,To understand what they want to do. Your actions must be clandestine.When I contact you next time, I will need to know the answer.The more information you obtain, the more important it is, the more rewards there will be.Origin Stones, cultivation techniques, none are a problem.""As for the third... I have a question I want to ask Elder Wei and Elder Zhuge.I remember before you, the Lingkong Hall originally had a Great Elder.How is he now?"Wei Bofang and Zhuge Jun exchanged glances,Both could see the other's nervousness.In the end, it was Wei Bofang who spoke,"Elder Song... heroically sacrificed himself for the sect's cause!"Jiang Wang merely smiled,"Then you must cherish yourselves.Until we meet again."And then he walked out of the main hall alone.The three great elders of Lingkong Hall,Stood quietly in the empty hall.Watching that cloaked and hempen-robed figure walk away against the light.They only felt...Like an abyss, like the sea, unfathomably deep.