Chapter 88: The Final Move - Calling for External Aid
Swish, swish, swish!
Several beams of light shot out from the mine.
It was Elder Li and other inner sect elders of Qingxuan Sect.
"Shi Fei, it's only been a month, and you've come knocking again?" Elder Li sneered.
Upon seeing Elder Li, Shi Fei gritted his teeth.
He still remembered the shame of being ambushed when he infiltrated the Thunder Crystal Mine to steal the Crystal Refining Technique.
"You had this planned all along?!"
Shi Fei struck away the Iron Fist Sect Master's punch and pointed angrily at the surrounding Core Formation stage cultivators, who were in chaos.
Elder Li laughed without answering, instead waving his hand, "Seize Shi Fei!"
Shi Fei was enraged.
But he wasn't foolish enough to fight so many Core Formation stage cultivators head-on.
He immediately prepared to flee.
However, although the three surrounding him were slightly weaker, they were still Core Formation stage cultivators.
Even a brief obstruction slowed him down significantly.
And that brief moment was enough for Elder Li and the others to catch up.
In no time, Shi Fei was surrounded by six Core Formation stage cultivators.
After a brief struggle, Shi Fei was captured again, his face full of despair.
His only hope now was that the small sects supporting the Heavy Weapon Sect would break through and rescue him.
"Save me! I promise, from now on, the price of Crystal Refining Artifacts for you will be reduced by twenty percent!" he shouted.
Hearing this, some people were momentarily swayed.
At this moment, Shen Mo's voice rang out slowly.
"As far as I know, the Heavy Weapon Sect doesn't have uniform pricing for Crystal Refining Artifacts. The prices for small sects are thirty percent higher than those for Feishuang Sect and Lingxi Sect!"
"Even with a twenty percent discount, it's still much higher than the prices Feishuang Sect and Lingxi Sect get."
"Elder Shi, why do you think the small sects would risk their lives for such a malicious deal?"
Shen Mo walked out from the mine, standing at the entrance, looking at the captured Shi Fei from a distance.
Seeing this, the Iron Fist Sect Master immediately shouted, "Young Sect Master Shen is right. I just asked Shi Fei if our effort this time could lower the prices, and he brushed me off, not taking us seriously at all!"
"Now that Qingxuan Sect can also produce Crystal Refining Artifacts, which are not only more powerful than those of the Heavy Weapon Sect but also cheaper!"
"If we small sects must follow a major sect, why not follow Qingxuan Sect?"
Shen Mo's words and the Iron Fist Sect Master's shout made the battling Core Formation stage cultivators pause and stop fighting.
"I agree! I've disliked the Heavy Weapon Sect for a long time!"
"Damn it, they made us work so hard without paying us a cent, and we still have to look at Shi Fei's face. It's disgusting!"
"I agree too. From today, my sect will follow Qingxuan Sect!"
A stone stirred up a thousand waves.
The grudges accumulated from the Heavy Weapon Sect's past misdeeds erupted at this moment.
The Core Formation stage cultivators who still stubbornly supported the Heavy Weapon Sect were immediately captured.
Hearing these voices, Shi Fei felt utterly hopeless.
Shen Mo glanced appreciatively at the Iron Fist Sect Master.
This person was smart and knew how to seize the moment.
Soon, the area was cleared.
Shi Fei, who had been captured again, was locked up in the mine's prison.
"You can all go back now. I keep my word; those two stubborn small sects that supported the Heavy Weapon Sect are yours to deal with," Shen Mo said calmly.
"Thank you, Young Sect Master Shen!" The Core Formation stage cultivators expressed their gratitude and left one after another.
At this time, Elder Li approached, "Young Sect Master, we found this on Shi Fei."
Shen Mo looked down to see a lotus seed emitting a faint golden glow.
This was the Golden Lotus Seed that Shi Fei intended to use to break the formation.
It was also one of the seeds from the Five-Color Lotus, which could serve as a golden foundation for his Core Formation.
"Good, I need this," he said with a slight smile, taking it.
As the Young Sect Master and future leader of Qingxuan Sect, taking the spoils from Shi Fei was expected.
No one dared to say a word.
Shen Mo casually asked, "After this, are there any small sects still following the Heavy Weapon Sect?"
Elder Li respectfully replied, "None. Not a single one."
### Chapter 88: The Final Move - Calling for External Aid
"Those two stubborn small sects that supported the Heavy Weapon Sect will likely be swallowed up by other small sects tonight."
"And those small sects have now switched their support to our Qingxuan Sect."
She finished excitedly, "Our strength now clearly surpasses that of the Heavy Weapon Sect!"
"We can attack their mountain gate anytime!"
Shen Mo waved his hand, "Elder Li, it's not the right time yet."
"Although our strength surpasses the Heavy Weapon Sect, it's not by much."
"If we force an attack, even if we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory. At that point, do you think Feishuang Sect and Lingxi Sect will stay quiet?"
"They are both part of the Heavenly Water Sect faction and have had their eyes on us for a long time."
Elder Li shivered, then sighed slightly, "The Young Sect Master is right. I was solely focused on avenging the fallen stewards and disciples and didn't think it through."
Shen Mo smiled, "We've already taken over most of the Heavy Weapon Sect's business, and their supporting small sects have completely vanished."
"If we keep delaying, the Heavy Weapon Sect will only grow weaker day by day."
"I predict the Heavy Weapon Sect will make a move within a month or two. We can then respond accordingly."
"Rest assured, Elder Li, the Heavy Weapon Sect will be more anxious than us."
Elder Li nodded repeatedly, "Understood."
Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then went to see Wu Leng in the prison.
Wu Leng's face was pale, his eyes dull.
Clearly, being imprisoned for too long had left him numb.
Shen Mo carefully checked, but there were no new opportunities on Wu Leng's life panel.
"It seems we need to wait a bit longer. Wu Gangfei probably hasn't figured out a solution yet."
"When they come up with something, Wu Leng's life panel will surely show changes."
Shen Mo smiled and left quickly, turning to practice his martial skills.
He wasn't in a hurry.
The ones in a hurry were the Heavy Weapon Sect.
"Soon, I'll obtain the Five-Color Lotus."
The thought of forming an Inferno Golden Core and advancing to the Core Formation stage filled Shen Mo with anticipation.
...
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Wu Gangfei smashed all the vases, tables, and calligraphy in the room.
His hair and beard were disheveled, his anger reaching a boiling point.
In the courtyard, ten inner sect elders, all elderly, stood silently with their heads bowed.
Outside the courtyard, the disciples heard the Sect Master's roars and looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Tell me how we can turn the tide!" Wu Gangfei punched the door, breaking it, and roared.
The elders shrank their necks.
After a few moments, a white-haired elder spoke softly, "We have Crystal Refining Artifacts. We surely have the upper hand. There's no need for the Sect Master to be so impatient."
Wu Gangfei roared in fury, "Open your old eyes and look! Qingxuan Sect is stealing all our business! How can you say we have the upper hand?"
The elder's face turned awkward. He had been spending his days in pleasure houses and was indeed unaware of the recent events in the sect.
"I have a plan. We can unite the small sects to attack Qingxuan Sect, so we don't have to get involved directly and can keep Qingxuan Sect busy!" Another elder confidently suggested.
Several other elders nodded, praising the plan.
Wu Gangfei, furious, pointed at him, "Do you know that all the small sects that followed us have fled? The only two that supported us have been swallowed up!"
The elder was stunned, "Ah?"
Wu Gangfei laughed in rage, "I've realized that without my son, you inner sect elders have all lost your minds. You're all useless!"
The elders dared not speak. Wu Gangfei wasn't wrong.
When Wu Leng was around, most sect affairs were handled by him.
The elders only needed to enjoy life and collect money.
"Now it seems there's only one way left." A middle-aged elder spoke softly.
"Speak quickly!" Wu Gangfei roared.
"Call for external aid! Feishuang Sect and Lingxi Sect will surely help us." The elder whispered.
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