The brilliant and extraordinarily talented Grand Pill Master Yang Kai had suffered a Qi Deviation due to unstable foundations caused by his cultivation advancing too quickly. His temperament underwent a drastic change when he attempted to break through to the Spirit Grade. Thanks to the Sect Master and numerous Elders who refused to give up on him and devoted themselves to his treatment, he had finally pulled through from the brink of danger. A cause for celebration indeed!
This news spread throughout the entire Xuandan Sect in an extraordinarily short time.
Yesterday's great battle had caused quite an uproar, and naturally the entire Xuandan Sect had taken notice. However, most people had no idea what had actually happened—only the cultivators who had participated in the battle understood some of the details.
But even they didn't know the full story. And given Yang Kai's violent, bloodthirsty demeanor at the time, their account hadn't raised too many eyebrows.
Yang Kai's behavior had indeed looked exactly like a Qi Deviation.
The battle had settled, but the cleanup was a troublesome affair. The official explanation had merely been meant to stabilize morale throughout the Xuandan Sect, but the cultivators Yang Kai had injured still needed time to recover.
What gave the Xuandan Sect's leadership the worst headache was his final demand—to serve ten years of solitary confinement in the forbidden ground.
In the council hall, the Xuandan Sect's upper echelon had gathered in force. From the Sect Master down to the Elders, Protectors, and Stewards, they were all present—a formidable assembly of talent. Yet the atmosphere inside the great hall was shrouded in gloom.
The matter being discussed today was, naturally, Yang Kai's proposal for ten years of wall-facing meditation.
It would have been manageable anywhere else, but the forbidden ground was precisely where the Medicine King Cauldron was housed. The Xuandan Sect had no choice but to treat the matter with the utmost caution. Previously, having been unaware of Yang Kai's true nature, they had allowed him free access to the forbidden ground and contact with the Medicine King Cauldron, letting him comprehend the profound mysteries of the Great Dao. Now that they knew he harbored ulterior motives, how could they possibly continue letting him near it?
But as for how to actually handle the situation, no one could produce a workable plan.
After a glance at the silent crowd below, Baili Yunsun tapped the armrest of his chair. "Stop playing mute, all of you. Speak up—how should this be handled? Grand Elder, what's your opinion?"
Being called upon directly by the Sect Master, Wu Fenghua had no choice but to speak. After a brief moment of deliberation, he said, "He knew full well how important the Medicine King Cauldron is to our Xuandan Sect, yet he still made such a demand. That tells us his ambitions are far from small. If we refuse, he likely won't let the matter rest. With the strength he demonstrated recently, if he truly set his mind on entering that forbidden ground, our Xuandan Sect would be powerless to stop him."
Indeed, in Wu Fenghua's view, Yang Kai's final proposal was not some voluntary submission to punishment—it was a demand, a demand for reconciliation with the Xuandan Sect! Only by agreeing to it was there any hope of reconciliation. If they refused, he might very well cause another scene, and no one could predict what would happen then.
After all, the Xuandan Sect had been the one to abduct all of the Xuling Sword Sect's people and bring them to Xuandan City. In that matter, the Xuandan Sect was in the wrong—even though they hadn't harmed a single person from the Xuling Sword Sect.
Baili Yunsun frowned. "So in the Grand Elder's view, we should agree to his demands?"
Wu Fenghua shook his head. "That is not my intention. I simply believe... Junior Brother should not have acknowledged that spurious master-disciple bond in the first place. Had he not accepted it, none of these complications would have arisen."
Before Dan Chengzi could respond, Lan Yin shot Wu Fenghua an angry glare. "Grand Elder, have you considered what the consequences would have been had Junior Brother not done so at the time?"
Wu Fenghua replied, "Judging by the situation at the time, even if Junior Brother hadn't acted that way, stopping that brat wouldn't have been difficult. He was still holding on to a thread of reason."
Lan Yin was about to say more, but Dan Chengzi raised his hand to cut her off. He lifted his gaze toward Wu Fenghua. "Indeed, he maintained that thread of reason throughout and never dealt any lethal blows to our Xuandan Sect's people. That is why, despite the countless injuries from yesterday's battle, not a single person died. But even if we had managed to stop him, how would we have resolved the situation? That brat's strength is beyond anyone in our Xuandan Sect—should we have simply let him leave? He has been comprehending the secrets of the Medicine King Cauldron for years now, contributing an enormous number of pill recipes and the mysteries of alchemy. Just letting him walk away like that—could you be at ease with that, Grand Elder?"
Wu Fenghua considered this carefully, then slowly shook his head.
Just as Dan Chengzi had said—who would willingly let Yang Kai leave after he had comprehended so many secrets of the Medicine King Cauldron?
"If we cannot keep him and cannot let him leave, then the only option is to use the master-disciple bond to create an attachment. Regardless of whether that bond is real or fake—as long as he has called me Master, the fake must become real."
Baili Yunsun appeared thoughtful. "Junior Brother, you had this in mind when you acknowledged the master-disciple bond yesterday?"
Dan Chengzi cupped his fists. "The situation was urgent and I had to improvise. There was no time to consult with the Sect Master."
Baili Yunsun waved his hand dismissively. "Your mind has always been quicker than ours—we all fall short of you in that regard. You did the right thing. With the tie of a master-disciple bond, he will presumably exercise some restraint in his future actions. However... this still doesn't solve the immediate problem."
Dan Chengzi said, "What the Sect Master and all of you are worried about is whether he harbors any disloyal intentions toward our Xuandan Sect—or whether he might be a spy sent by another Sect to uncover the secrets of the Medicine King Cauldron!"
"Precisely so." Baili Yunsun nodded.
Dan Chengzi slowly shook his head. "In my view, none of that is the issue."
Seeing everyone turn to look at him, Dan Chengzi continued, "I returned to the Xuandan Sect only recently, and my understanding of him is based solely on what you've all told me. But it is precisely because of that that I can step outside certain constraints to examine the matter. May I ask the Sect Master—in the years since he joined the Sect, has he ever taken any action detrimental to us?"
"Never."