Chapter 684: Sect's Internal Affairs

Ning Zhuo said to Qing Chi again, "Miss Qing Chi, you might as well walk around more. This cave is quite large, with more than five rooms. You can choose one to live in. It would be boring to travel around all the time."

Qing Chi said "oh" and looked at Ning Zhuo intently for three breaths before he lowered his head and walked away.

When Ning Zhuo saw her dazed and obedient appearance, he couldn't help but think of her liveliness before she lost her memory. He felt both guilty and pity, and felt uncomfortable for a moment.

Sun Lingtong explored around and came back to tell Ning Zhuo that he had found nothing fishy. He then asked Ning Zhuo, "When will we start digging the mountain to find the teleportation chamber left by my aunt?"

This is a bit troublesome.

The cave Meng Yaoyin rented back then wasn't this Shiquan Cave. The one she had chosen had already been occupied by someone else.

It was not easy for Ning Zhuo and his group to find a hidden teleportation stone chamber in the huge mountain.

Because there is also a large formation inside the mountain.

It will take some time to bypass the formation, avoid other people's attention, and find the teleportation array.

"Fortunately, my mother left me some magic formula. As long as I get within a hundred feet, I can sense it with my mind." Ning Zhuo sighed.

Sun Lingtong rolled up his sleeves and said, "The sooner we do this, the better. Let's start digging now!"

"Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood." Ning Zhuo pondered, "Let's first find out who our neighbors are and what the magic circle here is."

There are quite a few caves in this mountain. If there is any capable person among them who discovers the little tricks of Ning Zhuo and his group, it will undoubtedly cause unnecessary trouble.

The magic circle is also the key. Once you understand it, you can make targeted moves. Otherwise, you won't be able to make big detection moves.

Sun Lingtong patted his chest and said, "Alright. I'll first detect the magic circle here."

He comes from the Bukong Sect, and is a professional in detecting magic arrays.

His vision and attainments in formations are much more profound than Ning Zhuo's.

Most importantly, he himself is extremely trustworthy.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, boss." Ning Zhuo said.

Sun Lingtong waved his hand and said, "Why are you being so polite to me?" With that, he turned and left, entering the deepest part of the cave and doing his own work.

Ning Zhuo temporarily arranged his companions, then went to the practice room, took out a cushion, and sat down cross-legged.

However, he did not start practicing, but took out the information jade slip and studied it.

Before, he used his spiritual consciousness to record and memorize the information. Most of it was in his mind and was very clear, but lacked analysis and thinking.

As he studied deeper, the once vague situation gradually thinned out in Ning Zhuo's mind, like thick fog illuminated by sunlight.

"Where there are people, there is the world of martial arts." Ning Zhuo sighed.

If the structure of the Wanxiang Sect is simply summarized, it can be divided into eight peaks and sixteen halls.

The eight main peaks and sixteen halls together constitute this super-matched structure.

The eight main peaks are: Chongzhen Peak, Wanshou Peak, Danxia Peak, Zilei Peak, Jianming Peak, Baicao Peak, Fuyao Peak, and Liuyun Peak.

The sixteen halls are: Foreign Affairs Hall, Internal Affairs Hall, General Affairs Hall, Skill Transmission Hall, Martial Arts Performance Hall, Evil Punishment Hall, Alchemy Hall, Equipment Refining Hall, Formation Hall, Talisman Making Hall, Trade Hall, Spirit Planting Hall, Beast Taming Hall, Military Command Hall, Spirit Kitchen Hall, and Medical Skills Hall.

The current leader of the Wanxiang Sect is named Dong Chen, and he is also the master of Chongzhen Peak.

The election for the leader of the Wanxiang Sect is held every hundred years, and the masters of the eight main peaks are all candidates.

How to become one of the eight peak masters is to rely on your own strength, meet many challenges, and always occupy the eight main peaks.

From this we can see the Wanxiang Sect’s extraordinary management philosophy!

You know, the Wanxiang Sect opened its doors to many new members, primarily because they had a low barrier to entry. They even distributed the first few chapters of their sect's core techniques, allowing others to practice them free of charge.

If a cultivator joins the Wanxiang Sect and is strong enough and has a wide network of contacts, he can occupy one of the main peaks and become the peak master.

This is equivalent to being qualified for the election of the leader and having the possibility of becoming the leader of the Wanxiang Sect!

For the vast majority of forces and organizations, this is unimaginable - the path to promotion leads directly to the top, and there is theoretically no upper limit to development within the sect.

"So, the eight main peaks are the eight most powerful interest groups within the Wanxiang Sect."

"The Wanxiang Sect's daily affairs, organizational operations, and so on are all organized and completed in the form of sixteen halls."

"If the cultivators from the eight main peaks join these halls and serve in them, it means that the eight main peaks are interfering with the power of the sect."

Among the eight peaks, there are four old peaks and four new peaks.

Among them, Chongzhen Peak, Wanshou Peak, Danxia Peak and Zilei Peak are the old four peaks, while Jianming Peak, Baicao Peak, Fuyao Peak and Liuyun Peak are the new four peaks.

The reason for the distinction between old and new is that the first four peaks have remained unchanged despite all the changes in history, while the last four peaks have been rotated frequently, and it is not uncommon for the power on the main peak to be overthrown and the flag to be changed.

This is because there are really too many members in the Wanxiang Sect. The eight main peaks are selected based on merit, and there is also a huge base to enrich the sect.

These members outside the main peaks were not all weak. Many outstanding individuals preferred to be alone, or had unspeakable secrets, or had offended others for various reasons, and therefore stayed outside the eight main peaks.

These people get to know each other, build connections, and often form groups.

If these groups grow and become strong enough, they will have the potential to challenge the eight main peaks. Therefore, the reason why the new four peaks changed their owners was because of this aspect.

Of course, this method of attacking the main peak is not cruel or bloody, and the Wanxiang Sect’s limited rules have strict regulations on this.

As the strong are eliminated from the weak, the Wanxiang Sect is able to maintain its vitality and avoid fighting to the death or killing each other.

People like Wen Runyu, even if he is a true disciple of the Golden Elixir, are not from the eight main peaks. He leads the long-term mission of the Foreign Affairs Hall and is stationed in the Baizhi Immortal City all year round.

Meng Yaoyin was also among them. Otherwise, her cave wouldn't be on the small mountain opposite Ning Zhuo.

Yang Sanyan, on the other hand, was not one of them, but a member of the main peak. After all, he possessed superior talent and looked down on others. He was selected and chosen while still in the Qi Refining Stage.

The intelligence slip also mentioned that the weakest of the eight main peaks was Flowing Cloud Peak. It didn't have a Peak Master yet, and the power currently occupying the peak wasn't large, relying primarily on extensive connections. To become a Peak Master, there was a test. Only those who passed the test could assume the position.

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but ask a question when he saw this: "Liuyun Peak is the weakest of the eight main peaks, so how do the other seven compare in strength?"

This point was not mentioned in the intelligence jade slip.

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but wonder, "Will there be any explanation in the information jade slips that are two levels higher in price?"

"Probably not." He continued to think, asking and answering himself.

Ning Zhuo is not an ordinary genius. During his more than ten years of forbearance, the object he pondered the most was the City Lord's Mansion.

In order to deal with future enemies, he often put himself in the shoes of the City Lord, and then analyze and speculate on every action and every policy of the City Lord's Mansion.

The person who knows you best is often your enemy!

After living like this for a long time, Ning Zhuo naturally developed the vision and perspective of someone in power.

If he were from the Wanxiang Sect, he would never allow his own intelligence slips to rank the eight main peaks in order of strength. This would only create discomfort and cause internal strife.

"But relative strength and weakness definitely exist."

"The intelligence didn't state it explicitly, but I was able to deduce it and easily obtain it."

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo's consciousness stayed on a piece of content in the intelligence.

This is the identity information of the main members of the Sixteenth Hall.

Xiang Ji, the head of the External Affairs Hall, was from Chongzhen Peak, as was Chen Xuan of the Internal Affairs Hall.

Ning Zhuo's eyes narrowed slightly. "External and internal affairs are all managed by Chongzhen Peak, which is also the leader's line. This shows that Dong Chen's control over the Wanxiang Sect is quite high."

Zhao Gan, the head of the General Affairs Hall, hailed from Myriad Beasts Peak. This hall was primarily responsible for gathering resources for cultivation, a fundamental and important task, but a grueling one nonetheless.

Wang Yanzheng, the head of the Alchemy Hall, is from Danxia Peak.

The Formation Hall and the Talisman Making Hall are controlled by Chongzhen Peak and Danxia Peak respectively.

"The top three in the Four Arts of Cultivation are all in Chongzhen Peak and Danxia Peak. This shows that the two strongest forces in the Wanxiang Sect must be these two."

Ning Zhuo looked again and found that Wanshou Peak controlled the Beast Taming Hall, which was also a professional match.

"Huh? Where is Zi Lei Peak?" Ning Zhuo was slightly surprised as he made an unexpected discovery.

The important branches of the Sixteen Halls were almost all controlled by Chongzhen Peak, Danxia Peak, and Wanshou Peak. Among the four old peaks, Zilei Peak only held real power in the Medical Arts Hall.

This discovery was of great significance and immediately attracted Ning Zhuo's attention!

Logically speaking, the old four peaks were extremely powerful internal forces of the sect, otherwise they would have occupied a main peak for many years and would not have been able to be destroyed no matter how later generations attacked.

"The New Four Peaks represent the upstarts, while the Old Four Peaks represent the veterans of the Wanxiang Sect. Logically, Purple Thunder Peak shouldn't have so little real power."

"It's possible that the Purple Thunder Peak has some foundation to support this. It's also possible..."

"Purple Thunder Peak has declined and is on the verge of failure and expulsion from the main peak."

If it is the latter possibility, then the problem is very serious.

Ning Zhuo's thoughts raced through his mind like lightning: "This represents the transition from the old to the new, and will become a major trend in the sect's future!"

"Can I find an opportunity to make some profit from it?"

The external environment of the Wanxiang Sect is very stable. It is the largest super sect in Feiyun Country, far ahead of the second place. Looking across the country, no sect can be its rival.

Once such a huge turmoil occurs within the Wanxiang Sect, countless opportunities will inevitably arise.

Ning Zhuo had fought his way up from the bottom, and he knew only too well how precious such an opportunity was.

"Maybe I can take this opportunity to take my life to the next level."

Just as he was thinking about this, the voice of the old chef came from outside the door: "Sir, the spiritual food is ready."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Ning Zhuo agreed.

He was about to put the jade slip in his hand into his storage belt when a thought occurred to him: "The intelligence slip clearly states that Liuyun Peak is the weakest of the eight main peaks. This is clearly a warning to others. If they want to attack the main peaks, Liuyun Peak must be their first choice. So, what about Zilei Peak?"

"Did Purple Thunder Peak have any hand in the creation of this intelligence jade slip?"

The four of them gathered around the stone table and started eating together.

Sun Lingtong was exhausted. He wanted to detect the magic circle and dig a tunnel, but he would not go deep into the mountain.

Qing Chi was absent-minded, looking up from time to time at Ning Zhuo.

The chef also looked at Ning Zhuo: "Sir, is the food to your liking?"

His attitude was completely different from that in Zhuangyangyuan, and the decisive factor was that Ning Zhuo saved his life.

Ning Zhuo took a bite and immediately praised it, but then asked in confusion, "Master Chef, the ordinary spiritual food you make tastes delicious too. Why do you want to make dark cuisine?"

The old chef shook his head: "Dark cuisine is what I pursue. But since I follow you, young master, of course I have to cook according to your taste."

Ning Zhuo said seriously, "Whether it tastes delicious or not is really unimportant. Master Chef, you might as well put all your effort into making dark cuisine so that I can improve faster. Of course, don't increase your soul. Instead, focus more on cultivating your physical body."

The old chef smiled bitterly: "Mr. Ning, you don't know. There are still two inconveniences here."

"First, my dark cuisine focuses on ghosts. Dishes that increase the soul's essence are my forte. As for physical cultivation, I can only say that it's quite average."

"Secondly, Gan Douding, the head of the Wanxiang Sect's Spiritual Kitchen Hall, is a fervent supporter of the Light Cuisine School. She advocates for the perfect balance of color, flavor, and aroma, and emphasizes the wonderful feeling that cultivators experience while eating. She hates the Dark Cuisine School the most."

"If she finds out that I'm preparing dark dishes in the Wanxiang Sect... I'll be expelled from the Wanxiang Sect, but that won't be a big deal. I'm just worried that it will cause you a lot of trouble."

Ning Zhuo immediately thought of the intelligence jade slip, which did describe Gan Douding's identity and school.

"So that's how it is." Ning Zhuo nodded. "We have just arrived at this treasure land, so we should be cautious and not provoke the enemy for no reason."

As he was speaking, a cold shout suddenly came from the cave entrance: "People from Shiquan Cave, come out!"

Ning Zhuo and his group looked at each other in surprise.

Ning Zhuo did not move, but took out the token, activated his magic power, and formed a phantom in the air.

The phantom revealed three cultivators. The leader was at the Foundation Establishment stage, his peak aura clearly visible, while the other two attendants were at the Qi Refining stage.

Ning Zhuo's voice came from outside the cave: "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator laughed heartily. "Listen carefully, this mountain has been chosen by my master. He prefers quiet and peaceful places, and all outsiders here will be expelled."

"Before you came, my family had already persuaded more than ten newcomers to leave."

"Ignorance is not a crime. If you leave now, I will give you some spirit stones as compensation. If you don't leave, my master is a great Jindan cultivator and will not bully the weak. But among my followers, there are twelve people who have established their foundation. You can wait to see them in the martial arts hall!"

It is better to be clumsy and silent.

Qing Chi gritted his teeth, showing an indignant look.

The old chef looked at Ning Zhuo worriedly: "Young Master..."

Sun Lingtong giggled and stared at Ning Zhuo with sparkling eyes.

Ning Zhuo was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "How many spirit stones do you want to give me?"

The visitor smiled disdainfully, "Here are ten mid-grade spirit stones! Go to the Internal Affairs Hall and get your rent refunded. There's still plenty of time."

Ning Zhuo laughed out loud: "Thank you very much, sir."

He agreed immediately.

(End of this chapter)