Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds-Chapter 516 - 267, Today, the Butian Sect is established!_2
It was laughable.
"The Flying Feather Immortal Palace backed down?"
"They... agreed to let the Butian Sect replace their own major sect?"
Seeing this, the cultivators from the various sects present were astonished. They hadn't expected that merely Ruan Baimei's injury would make the Flying Feather Immortal Palace yield.
Damn it... the Hai Family Daoist Lord thought. We fell for this kid's trick!
Seeing the varied reactions of the cultivators in the hall, the Hai Family Daoist Lord's expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly communicated with the nearby disciples of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace via Divine Sense, only then learning what Xu Xing had just said. Xu Xing had used his Magic Power to broadcast the words "a small sect replacing a large sect" throughout the entire venue, but he had deliberately not transmitted it to them. When they saw Xu Xing suddenly make a move, fear welled in their hearts, and they hadn't dared to provoke him excessively. That was why they had uttered those "words of submission," to avoid unforeseen calamity.
But they had never imagined that this act of yielding would play right into Xu Xing's stratagem, causing the cultivators from the various sects to mistakenly believe that the Flying Feather Immortal Palace had chosen to back down on this crucial matter. It was no wonder the cultivators from other sects thought this way. Although the Butian Sect's strength on paper was considerably less than that of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, it was still considered a major sect in the current world. The Flying Feather Immortal Palace backing down... while seemingly incredible, wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
If this Xu Xing is not eliminated, he will sooner or later take our lives... the Ruan Family Daoist Lord sighed. Everything had changed too quickly, so fast they had no room to react. They weren't unintelligent; rather, Xu Xing had come prepared against their unpreparedness. Constrained at every turn, they appeared foolish. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Accumulating small victories to build great momentum... the Hai Family Daoist Lord thought, his gaze icy. His scheming runs too deep. He secretly resolved that once they returned to the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, he would hedge his bets on both sides to prevent the Hai Family of the Nine Mountain Great Halls from becoming mere history in the future.
"Furthermore..." As the assembled cultivators were still processing the rapid succession of recent events, Xu Xing spoke again. Ignoring Ruan Baimei's ghastly pale face, he gave a cold, meaningful smile and said, "Returning to the previous question: you all know of this secret decree I possess. Brother Ruan just admitted it was issued by Sect Master Ren... Since Brother Ruan was able to kill Hai An within three days, he surely had the opportunity to learn the truth from Sect Master Ren himself. So... why didn't Sect Master Ren explain the circumstances, thereby causing Brother Ruan to be deceived?"
This time, he had laid this trap with three objectives.
Firstly, to use public opinion to compel the Flying Feather Immortal Palace to act, eliminating his enemy Hai An for him.
Secondly, to create favorable public opinion for the establishment of the Butian Sect. After joining a sect, leaving to forge a new path was no easy feat. Betraying one's sect was intolerable to the Righteous Path. Therefore, announcing Ren Yuanrui's secret decree at this time was essential. With this pretext, establishing the Butian Sect became far more justifiable.
Thirdly, to use this scheme to sever diplomatic ties between the Flying Feather Immortal Palace and the Nanhua Sect. The Butian Sect would then replace the Flying Feather Immortal Palace's diplomatic position with the Nanhua Sect, thereby gaining the protection of the Nanhua Sect's Nascent Soul Saint Monarch.
Simply put, it's a backdoor listing, he mused.
This time, even if Ruan Baimei didn't proactively mention their joint creation of the Butian Sect, the Record-Keeping Talisman in Xu Xing's hand would reveal everything they had discussed that day outside Huge Mastiff Island.
Decades ago, when Chi Yuan had used the Mirror Light Technique to manifest upon his Purple Ribbon Gold Seal, he had discussed with Xu Xing the establishment of the Butian Sect as an auxiliary sect of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace...
Even then, I suspected that the 'Butian Sect' was very likely a ploy by Ruan Baimei to gain Ren Yuanrui's trust, Xu Xing recalled. However, everything had its pros and cons. The "Butian Sect" could serve as a tool for Ruan Baimei to gain the trust of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace's Master and Disciple Lineage and become the Junior Sect Leader... But conversely, during this period, the "Butian Sect" also became a fatal vulnerability in Ruan Baimei's prospects.
In short: an unjustly acquired position inevitably brings disaster!
As Xu Xing's words faded, the cultivators from the various sects began to understand.
That's right! Since the secret decree was issued by Ren Yuanrui, and Ruan Baimei had time to take Hai An's head, why couldn't he have asked Ren Yuanrui about the authenticity of the matter? they pondered.
They had just now speculated that three days prior, Ruan Baimei, "harboring ulterior motives," had mistakenly fallen for Xu Xing's ploy and acted rashly. But speculation was merely speculation; it couldn't be truth. Everything depended on evidence.
And the evidence proving this point... was precisely Hai An's head, which Xu Xing had just mentioned—the very head Ruan Baimei had personally presented...
I was blind. This Xu Xing's scheming is far more extensive than I imagined... Ding Jifeng, hidden in the shadows, mused as his mouth twitched upon hearing of this "scheme within a scheme." My previous deductions were all based on the premise that the secret decree was 'true'. Although Xu Xing's secret decree was genuine, it was worlds apart from the decree the cultivators imagined, making it effectively 'false'. How does one turn false into true? I initially believed Xu Xing had Buxu Zi announce the secret decree to leverage public opinion over these three days, thereby establishing it as 'true'. As it turns out, Xu Xing did indeed do so, but I never anticipated Hai An's head would serve such a purpose.
To have a minor sect replace a major one—truly an excellent stratagem. Hai An's head corroborates the timeline, sufficiently proving to the world that Ren Yuanrui did not genuinely intend to appoint Ruan Baimei as Junior Sect Leader... And with this secret decree to inherit the law vein and continue the sect... establishing the Butian Sect aligns perfectly with Ren Yuanrui's true intentions... Ding Jifeng silently admired Xu Xing's methods.
However... if Ruan Baimei hadn't killed Hai An and presented his head publicly, or if, during this period, Ren Yuanrui had informed Ruan Baimei about the secret decree's true nature... what would Xu Xing have done then? He stroked his beard, his expression thoughtful.
Hai An's head, that I can understand. If Ruan Baimei or the Flying Feather Immortal Palace didn't execute Hai An, it would be difficult to account to the various sects of the Righteous Path... Killing Hai An was the only way to preserve the reputation of the Higher Teachings. But as for the variable of Ren Yuanrui later on, I don't know how Xu Xing planned to avoid it. If Ruan Baimei had known from the outset that the secret decree was false, he certainly wouldn't have been so passive.
However, it is also time to make a choice: ally with the Butian Sect and abandon the current Flying Feather Immortal Palace. Ding Jifeng's eyes flickered. If Xu Xing possessed only this level of cunning, even with a mind as sharp as a demon's, I wouldn't choose to side with him. But his aptitude is simply too terrifying. As long as he doesn't meet an untimely end, he is destined to become a Nascent Soul Saint Monarch. Superficially, the Flying Feather Immortal Palace is currently powerful, boasting two Nascent Soul Saint Monarchs and nearly thirty Nascent Soul Daoist Lords under its command... But one cannot judge solely on the present. In another one or two thousand years, whether the Flying Feather Immortal Palace or the Butian Sect will hold greater power is anyone's guess.
"Today, my Butian Sect is established!" Xu Xing declared, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "As an auxiliary sect of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace!" He repeated the words Chi Yuan had spoken to him in the Sea Area of the Mingquan Sect.
However, unlike the auxiliary sect Chi Yuan had described, this auxiliary sect of his was the true Orthodox lineage!
"We... congratulate the establishment of the Butian Sect!"
"The Orthodox Daoist Teachings now have another esteemed sect to resist the cultivators of the Demon way..."
The cultivators from the various sects present were silent for a brief moment. However, after Teacher Tianhai and other cultivators long-renowned in the Righteous Path spoke up, many quickly chimed in with their agreement. They had heard of the Butian Sect's doctrines. The Butian Sect welcomed cultivators from all sects and did not prohibit the Daoism of other sects. In the past, the Cultivation Methods Books of the Higher Teachings were all top secret. Now, with Xu Xing's Butian Sect, they too could cultivate the methods of the Higher Teachings. What reason was there not to acknowledge the Butian Sect's founding?
Besides, there was safety in numbers; the principle that the law does not punish the masses applied. The first to speak out were cultivators like Teacher Tianhai. Even if the Flying Feather Immortal Palace harbored resentment, it would primarily be directed at them...
"Thank you all for your support," Xu Xing said, a smile touching his lips as he heard the crowd's congratulations. He cupped his fists in a return salute. "My matter is hereby concluded."
Establishing a sect before the various other sects and gaining their acknowledgment held profound implications. Their recognition signified that the Butian Sect, not some spurious, unorthodox teaching that had sprung up from nowhere, was the true "Orthodox" lineage of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace.
After saying this, Xu Xing turned his gaze back to Ruan Baimei and Zuoqiu Ying. "My apologies for interrupting Brother Ruan's important affairs. Please don't take offense. The auspicious time is nearly over; I urge Brother Ruan to decide quickly."
