This list indeed puts people under great pressure.
If we don't count Dugu Qingli and only consider the Tianxing Sword Sect itself, after Jin Mingxiu's death, the entire sect is left with only Shen Tang as a fourth-rank cultivator. Everyone else is no match.
And the Fenxiang Tower list contains three third-rank cultivators, two of whom are combat-oriented. Even if the leading Dan master isn't great in actual combat, crushing lower-level opponents is as easy as crushing shrimp.
Even if Shen Tang is invincible at the same rank, the gap between her and the third-rank is a significant hurdle. It's very difficult to defeat opponents of a higher rank. Just being able to hold them off would be quite remarkable, but there are three of them on the opposing side.
No matter how you look at it, this is a crushing defeat. Sheng Yuan Yao couldn't even imagine how the Tianxing Sword Sect could win when he saw the list.
The so-called "divide and disintegrate" requires you to offer conditions that will move the opposing party... but with a declining sect like the Tianxing Sword Sect, Sheng Yuan Yao couldn't understand, no matter how he thought about it, what they could possibly offer. Could it be that they intend to break the tacit agreement and reveal their princess's identity?
That could lead to even more serious consequences.
The Tianxing Sword Sect won't just be annihilated by this move, will they...
No force in Xia State dares to easily participate in this kind of war involving imperial intentions. No force can accommodate and hide so many powerful individuals from Fenxiang Tower on a large scale. To avoid a large number of powerful individuals gathering in Xia State and alerting the officials and the Tianxing Sword Sect, the Fenxiang Tower people entered in batches, each hiding.
Some stayed directly in inns, others went to the homes of familiar friends to stay, only waiting for the signal before rushing to the Tianxing Sword Sect together.
Zhang Shaoyou sat alone in the inn's private courtyard, quietly wiping and nurturing his beloved flying sword.
The snow had been getting heavier these past few days. Killing people on a snowy night was quite in line with a swordsman's style. It was an atmosphere he clearly quite liked, but Zhang Shaoyou felt a strange unease in his heart.
Perhaps it was the sudden inquiry from the Town Demon Department today?
Although the Town Demon Department people only understood a little of the situation before leaving, if so many Fenxiang Tower people were discovered entering Xia State, who knows what the Xia State city lord's reaction would be.
If he, Zhang Shaoyou, were making the decision, he would choose to attack preemptively and not wait for the scheduled date. It wouldn't matter if some people hadn't arrived, anyway, the existing forces were already enough to completely devastate the Tianxing Sword Sect multiple times...
If the Tianxing Sword Sect truly had precautions, there might instead be casualties. Zhang Shaoyou himself was a sword cultivator and was very clear about the power of a former third-rank sword sect's protective great array. Once the opposing party reacted and was prepared, it would increase the difficulty.
It was a pity that the leader wasn't him, but the Dan master Chang Qing. Not only was there the Dan master Chang Qing, but there was also Zhu Lianfeng, who had always been at odds with him.
Zhang Shaoyou's face unconsciously showed some gloom.
To be honest, this meant Fenxiang Tower didn't trust him and these external protectors. On the surface, they were their own people, but when it came to the crucial points, they never gave him, Zhang Shaoyou, a chance to stand alone.
A sudden knock sounded at the small courtyard gate.
Zhang Shaoyou's heart stirred: "Who is it?"
There was no answer from outside, but the door opened automatically. A white-haired girl pushed a wheelchair, and sitting in the wheelchair was a beautiful woman with an excellent temperament. She just smiled politely at him: "We came uninvited, I hope Protector Zhang doesn't mind."
When she smiled, it was like a blooming crabapple flower.
Shen Tang!
Zhang Shaoyou subconsciously gripped his sword hilt.
"Protector Zhang, no need to be nervous, no one outside knows," Shen Tang smiled slightly, "I didn't come here to be enemies with Protector Zhang."
Zhang Shaoyou said faintly: "Sect Master Shen recently killed two protectors of our sect and publicly declared that she would not rest until she met with our Fenxiang Tower. I don't think we are in a relationship where we can talk face to face."
"I don't think so," Shen Tang said leisurely. "Otherwise, with Protector Zhang alone here, I could easily concentrate my elite to surround and assassinate you. Why would I come here and be open and honest?"
Zhang Shaoyou fell silent. Shen Tang's words were not wrong.
He could feel that the white-haired girl beside Shen Tang was a fourth-rank sword cultivator, and Shen Tang's combat strength during the grand ceremony was very clear, instantly killing two opponents of the same level as easily as cutting vegetables. It was said that the head of the Sword Front Hall of the Tianxing Sword Sect was also a fourth-rank cultivator. With these three as a base, and having planned intentionally against those who had no intention, there was indeed a certain success rate for assassination.
At least, if he were to suddenly attack Shen Tang now, without knowing the arrangements outside, he wouldn't have much confidence and wouldn't dare to act rashly.
But Shen Tang chose to come and talk.
Moreover, Shen Tang's arrival here meant that their Fenxiang Tower's plan had already been completely exposed to the Tianxing Sword Sect, didn't it?
Seeing Zhang Shaoyou's silent appearance, Shen Tang knew he had understood. She smiled and said: "In fact, in my heart, Protector Zhang and Fenxiang Tower are not one entity."
Zhang Shaoyou subconsciously said: "Please don't talk nonsense."
Shen Tang said leisurely: "Isn't that the case in Fenxiang Tower's eyes?"
Zhang Shaoyou was a bit stuck and actually couldn't answer this sentence.
"Mister is ultimately an external guest. Compared to someone like Zhu Lianfeng who has cultivated from a young age, there is naturally a difference in closeness. From Fenxiang Tower's perspective, mister is someone who was able to break through to the third rank after taking their Dan medicine. They treat mister with a sense of gratitude, right?"
Zhang Shaoyou still didn't speak, but this time it hit him harder in his heart.
Indeed, Fenxiang Tower treated him with a sense of gratitude, as if he would be ungrateful if he didn't repay them. However, things shouldn't be calculated that way. The Dan medicine was originally just Fenxiang Tower's remuneration for hiring him. He received Fenxiang Tower's Dan medicine, but he also risked his life for Fenxiang Tower. In these past years, whenever Fenxiang Tower and other families clashed, which time wasn't he on the front line?
Essentially, this was just receiving a salary and joining a job, that's all. How could it be linked to grace... However, in the concept of people in this world, they always felt that helping you break through was a great favor. Compared to it, contributing some combat strength was really not enough in return, even he, Zhang Shaoyou, subconsciously thought so.
But at this moment, being said by Shen Tang like this, that sense of grievance still inevitably rose to his heart.
This old man risked his life to work in exchange for Dan medicine, how did it just become your grace?
Shen Tang smiled and said: "Furthermore, I also heard that Protector Zhang receives quite a bit of resource tilt in Fenxiang Tower. Is it a community of interest?"
"Nonsense!" Zhang Shaoyou instinctively blurted out a sentence, then realized he had lost his words and closed his mouth.
"Let me guess... Mister's cultivation place is here, your position is high, and your fixed monthly income is naturally more than others. This is originally a reasonable and expected income. But in their eyes, they always feel that mister is taking such a big advantage and getting so much cultivation... " Shen Tang smiled and said: "Zhu Lianfeng is the first protector, his fixed income is higher than yours, but no one says he gets any resource tilt... because he is a Fenxiang Tower insider, and mister is not. They want mister to feel that you owe them."
Zhang Shaoyou's breathing finally became heavy.
"Additionally..." Shen Tang paused for a moment and smiled lightly, "Mister, since you broke through to the third rank, it seems you haven't made any further progress in these past years, have you?"
Zhang Shaoyou was silent for a while, then shook his head: "Nine grades and nine layers of heaven, each layer is more difficult than the last. This old man's aptitude is insufficient, it is just like this."
"That's not necessarily true. In fact, the difficulty of breaking through from the third rank to the second rank is not higher than the difficulty of breaking through from the fourth rank to the third rank... Isn't it because Fenxiang Tower's highest level of alchemy can only reach the third rank, and the help they can provide to mister is already very little? Just like Zhu Lianfeng is also stuck at the third rank."
Hearing these words, Zhang Shaoyou couldn't help but laugh: "Could it be that your esteemed sect's seventh-rank Dan cultivator is more useful than Fenxiang Tower's Dan?"
Shen Tang subconsciously helped Lu Xingzhou speak: "First, he is already a sixth-rank Dan master; second, the Dan he refines can surpass the fourth-rank Bai Jingtian, which has already been proven at the sect's grand ceremony."
Dugu Qingli glanced at her with an expressionless face.
"Cough." Shen Tang gave a dry cough and said again: "Although he truly can't refine Dan that surpasses the third rank, what I am talking about with mister is not about him."
"Then what?"
"Mister is a sword cultivator. We sword cultivators originally don't like to borrow external things."
Zhang Shaoyou was silent. If it weren't for having no other choice, who would love to eat Dan indiscriminately... and you're not people from Xia State.
Shen Tang continued: "Since mister can no longer improve from the aspect of Dan medicine, why not consider returning to the essence and considering it from the perspective of a sword cultivator itself? Fenxiang Tower is a refining Dan sect, what beneficial insights can they offer to a sword cultivator? Do they have the insights and comprehension of sword cultivators over the years? Do they have many different sword intents for reference? Do they have special trial places set up for sword cultivators?"
Zhang Shaoyou's heart couldn't help but jump a bit, just listening to Shen Tang leisurely conclude: "And I, the Tianxing Sword Sect, am a sword sect with a long inheritance... Although we were once only a third-rank sect and our master was only a third-rank, our Tianxing Sword Law may be a first-rank sword secret!"
Zhang Shaoyou's mouth was dry and his tongue was dry. He said with great reluctance: "Sect Master Shen... the meaning of these words..."
"Just letting mister think clearly... It is well known that my Tianxing Sword Sect is now in decline and urgently needs talent. At this time, everyone who joins us will be considered an elder. While Fenxiang Tower doesn't trust you and you are not valued, if mister continues to waste time, this life will be just like this... It's better to open up a new perspective, or perhaps there will be a new sky."
"Old man... Zhang is not a traitor."
As he spoke, a cluster of fireworks in the distance shot straight up into the clouds. Zhang Shaoyou turned his head to look, and his expression changed greatly.
Shen Tang also glanced at it, motioning for Dugu Qingli to turn and leave. Her last words echoed in the courtyard: "What is called betrayal... The first-rank protective mountain sword array will turn anyone who enters without authorization into dust. Mister, do you want to go and be the first to test the sword array for them, or turn your head and see the vastness of the sea and sky, and only yourself."
Almost at the same time, in another inn, A Nuo pushed Lu Xingzhou out of the courtyard. Lu Xingzhou just looked at the fireworks in the sky and smiled lightly: "It seems that your esteemed sect has already summoned people. Mister Qin, no need to see us off. It would be bad if we arrived late... On another day, mister can come to visit, and I, Lu, will sweep the mat and welcome you."
Fenxiang Tower's fourth-rank protector, Qin Buwang, sent off Lu Xingzhou, looking at the summoned fireworks in the sky for a long time without speaking.
He secretly thought, the sect finally felt that a sudden attack tonight was the best... However, looking at it now, this order, I don't know whose death it signifies.
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