Chapter 249

Chapter 249: The Scramble

People nodded all around.

“What Li said makes sense. Now that I think about it, every so often Yi Lan would have one or two best friends. Then those friends would vanish.”

“Yes. Most of her friends never showed up again.”

“That woman is terrifying.”

“In the end, this is Eclipse Moon Sect’s fault for using such sneaky tricks.”

Even in Myriad Arts City, where Ancestor Xuan Wei’s status carried weight, her pressure was limited. Whispers spread, and more than a few eyes held open disdain for the two from Eclipse Moon Sect.

Ancestor Xuan Wei’s face looked ugly, but she forced out a smile and said: “Li, I do not care what happened in Gluttony Hell. That does not change the fact that I value you. Become my disciple, and I will pass you Eclipse Moon Sect’s core secret manual. Right now you only have that clearly outdated Fourth Tier sword and few other treasures. Agree to this, and I will give you three Seventh Tier artifacts at once, plus many pills and talismans. Whatever you want, I will provide. How about it?”

She made one last push, trying to trick Li Shuang into her hands.

In her mind, Li was a newcomer to Myriad Arts City. She might not understand what a Supreme Spiritual Root means, or what it means to clear the sixth mountain at her age. With this many benefits on the table, Li might waver.

In the end, if the profit is rich enough, even great grudges can be settled.

Li Shuang smiled and said: “No need. Senior, I killed your clone. You do not hold a grudge and even show me favor. I appreciate that. But I hold grudges. I cannot get along with someone who has no bottom line. I have things to do, so please make way.”

She really was busy. The Golden Soul Altar was about to open. She still had two secret sites to clear and Merit Points to exchange. She had no time to waste on Ancestor Xuan Wei.

“Li!” Ancestor Xuan Wei burst into anger and said: “Do not get too arrogant. I have already given you enough face. Do not make me regret being polite.”

The man beside her had been stunned by how things unfolded. Seeing Ancestor Xuan Wei lose her temper, he started shouting too and said: “Right. You killed a disciple of our Eclipse Moon Sect, and the Ancestor is still willing to take you in. You should be grateful. Otherwise, if you offend Eclipse Moon Sect, you will—”

He stopped mid sentence. His mouth hung open, but no sound came out. Fear flashed in his eyes.

“Will what?” a slightly mocking female voice asked.

A woman strolled forward, and people moved aside for her without thinking.

She looked at Ancestor Xuan Wei with a hint of a smirk and said: “Eclipse Moon Sect’s Xuan Wei? I did not know your sect had grown so bold.”

Ancestor Xuan Wei’s face turned even darker. [Why is she here!]

“Heavens, it is Ancestor Ni Shang,” a disciple whispered. “A Tribulation Crossing Stage expert from the High-Tier Sect Clear Cloud Sect. Clear Cloud and Eclipse Moon stand on opposite sides, Righteous and Evil, and overall they are close in strength. But personally, this Ancestor Xuan Wei is far weaker than Ancestor Ni Shang. Ten years ago, Xuan Wei was beaten into seclusion by Ni Shang.”

Xuan Wei shot the speaker a vicious look.

Ni Shang smiled and said: “The disciple did not say anything wrong. Were you not beaten by me until you searched the floor for your teeth?”

Xuan Wei ground her teeth and said: “What do you want?”

Ni Shang gave her a dismissive glance, then turned to Li Shuang with a gentle smile and said: “Li, your talent is astonishing. My Clear Cloud Sect stands with the Righteous Path. Our conduct is nothing like Eclipse Moon Sect’s. If you are willing, I will personally take you as my disciple and help you walk the Great Dao. What do you think?”

Xuan Wei’s face grew even uglier. Her bad feeling had come true.

At first, the onlookers were only low level disciples watching the show. But with the Guard’s usual habits, once Li cleared the sixth mountain, the news would spread everywhere at once. Not only Ni Shang would come. More and more people were on the way.

Ancestor Xuan Wei grew anxious. She stared hard at Li Shuang and said: “As long as you take me as your master, I will give you ten thousand high grade spirit stones right now.”

Ni Shang shot her a sideways look and said: “Vulgar. My Clear Cloud Sect owns a spirit mine. If Li becomes my disciple, she will never lack spirit stones.”

Xuan Wei nearly snapped and said: “I can help her cultivate a supreme secret art.”

Ni Shang was ready to mock her again when Xuan Wei added quickly: “I am willing to draw out a portion of my life bound treasure’s power and attach it to your life sword.”

Ni Shang paused, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Xuan Wei’s Blackscale Spear was unusual. Its power could be drawn out and added to other items. But if you added it to something else, the spear itself would grow weaker. Xuan Wei was always selfish. Would she really harm her own interests just to recruit a disciple? [There is something fishy here.]

Ni Shang snorted and said: “Do you think I have no way to strengthen a treasure? Our Clear Cloud Sect has a Ninth-Rank Artificer. With me here, asking him to reforge Li’s life bound weapon would be easy.”

Ancestor Xuan Wei opened her mouth to argue again.

Li Shuang listened to the two of them trade offers, then hurried to speak and said: “Senior Ni Shang.”

Ni Shang’s smile brightened and she said: “Go on.”

Li Shuang answered honestly and said: “Sorry. I already have a sect.”

Ni Shang did not rush. She said: “Which sect? Above my Clear Cloud Sect there are only the Five Super Sects. If it is one of those, I will not compete. But if not, Li, your talent should not be buried in a small sect. If your sect will not let you go, tell me and I will handle it.”

Li Shuang shook her head and said: “No. I do not want to leave on my own.”

She did care about Sword Sect. And, at the moment, she could not cross the Endless Sea and make it to the Central Continent anyway. If she joined another sect, her being a cultivator from a different region would be hard to hide. From every angle, she could not join anyone else.

Ni Shang drew breath to try again.

A cheerful voice rang out from above and said: “You do not want to join Clear Cloud Sect? Then how about my Sunset Glow Sect!”

A middle aged man descended from the clouds, smiling.

A Tribulation Crossing Stage expert. Another one. The crowd blinked in disbelief.

Eclipse Moon Sect and Clear Cloud Sect were High-Tier Sects. But Sunset Glow Sect was one of the Five Super Sects.

Even Ni Shang showed a trace of regret. She had hoped to sneak in a recruit before a Super Sect arrived. Now that one had, she had no chance. She stepped back on her own.

The middle aged man looked at Li Shuang with warm eyes and said: “Alright, come with me. Sunset Glow Sect welcomes you.”

Li Shuang felt her scalp tingle. [Looks like I still have to turn him down.]