Chapter 420

Chapter 420: The Origin of Qiao Family (1)

After that incident, he fled all the way back to the Zhong Province, where he secluded himself in this temporary cave dwelling without returning to the sect.

The death of a Nascent Soul Elder was no small matter, so the Soul Predicting Path side would definitely seek explanations from the Great Dao Sect.

Therefore, abandoning his fellow daoists and running away alone could only be hidden temporarily, not forever.

And now… Elder Qingzhuo looked at the wildly flashing Message Jade Talisman, feeling like a worker on a day off receiving a call from their boss, resisting it with all his might.

"How can I smooth this over?" Elder Qingzhuo sighed heavily, feeling a headache coming on.

Ever since the incident, he had been pondering this issue.

He may have escaped with his life, but he was uncertain about how to deal with the aftermath, how to face the anger of the Soul Predicting Path. He needed to come up with a convincing excuse.

The incident at the Sword Tomb, put simply, was abandoning the Qiao family’s martial arts in the face of danger, betraying some teammates, and leaving Soul Predicting Path’s Immortal Xuanji to die.

Firstly, abandoning the mortals during the crisis tarnished the reputation of the Great Dao Sect.

Secondly, causing the death of a fellow practitioner, leading to the tragic demise of an elder from the Soul Predicting Path…

If this matter was thoroughly investigated, it might prove to be as serious as the collapse of the Zhong Province Hundred-mile Desert Secret Realm, if not worse.

"Things have come to this… I should escape first, get far away from Zhong Province."

Elder Qingzhuo acted decisively, immediately walked out of the cave, and turned into a streak of light shooting into the sky.

But before he could go far, a streak of light turned into the appearance of Elder Qingyi, blocking his way.

"Brother Qingyi… Are you well?" Elder Qingzhuo hesitated for a while, his face gradually sinking.

He didn’t ask Elder Qingyi how he found him.

With the methods of the Great Dao Sect, finding him, a senior elder of the sect, was naturally no problem. In fact, his ability to hide until now was quite lucky.

"Brother, you seem to have been enjoying yourself lately." Elder Qingyi said casually.

"I—" Elder Qingzhuo was about to explain but was interrupted by Elder Qingyi waving his hand.

"No need to explain to me. This matter is of great importance. Hurry back to the sect with me and explain it to Brother, the sect leader, in person."

"Huh? Brother, the sect leader, personally asking about this matter? Isn’t that a bit much?" Elder Qingzhuo was stunned.

At that moment, his brain started spinning wildly, trying to come up with a solution.

"Very serious," Elder Qingyi said with a serious expression.

"After all, the fate of the two major Immortal Gates depends on this matter."

"Not to mention the sect leader, even the Supreme Elder in the Supreme Elder in the Ten Provinces Cave Heaven Small World would probably have to intervene."

"Oh?" Elder Qingzhuo was stunned on the spot.

He was a bit slow to catch on.

While this matter was indeed significant and could potentially strain relations between the Soul Predicting Path and the Great Dao Sect, it seemed unlikely for it to be a matter of life and death for the two Immortal Gates, right?

It’s understandable for the sect leader to be involved, but the Supreme Elder usually doesn’t interfere unless it’s a matter of life and death for the sect, such as during the chaos of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the past…

Is this matter really that serious?

Elder Qingzhuo’s head immediately felt huge, and his mind went blank for a moment.

Could it be that he had accidentally become the catalyst for the enmity or even war between the two major Immortal Gates?

How did it come to this?!

"The sect actually went to war with the Soul Predicting Path for an old guy like me?" Elder Qingzhuo was stunned.

In the midst of his confusion, he suddenly noticed the ambiguous expression on Elder Qingyi’s face, and only then did he come to his senses:

"Brother, what kind of joke are you playing?"

"I am not joking, I am not lying." Elder Qingyi’s expression turned slightly serious:

"But to get to the point, you have indeed gotten yourself into a big mess."

"And indeed, two major Immortal Gates have been destroyed because of this."

"While you were hiding in the east and west, the Nan Province Xuantian Sect and the Southwest Province Yunxiao Sect have collapsed. The Soul Changing Taoist Lord has passed away, and the two Cave Heaven Small Worlds are missing."

"The ones who caused all this are the martial artists from the Qiao family on Earth."

"Qingzhuo, you have fought with the Qiao family’s martial artists several times. You have killed many Qiao family members in the Hundred-mile Desert and faced Qiao family’s martial artist Qiao Pianxin in the Sword Tomb but managed to escape."

Do you understand the seriousness of this now? Elder Qingyi asked slowly.

Qingzhuo listened to Qingyi’s words without much expression, showing a hint of annoyance.

"Is my senior brother playing tricks on me again?"

"Are you trying to make me believe that the Great Dao Sect really started a war with the Soul Predicting Path for just a Nascent Soul cultivator like me?"

Elder Qingyi stared at Qingzhuo without saying a word.

"It seems that you have been hiding without knowing about the dramatic changes in the Jiu Province cultivation world."

Speaking of this, Elder Qingyi’s face showed a hint of sadness.

He stood side by side with Elder Qingzhuo, turned into streaks of light, flying towards the sect, and began to tell what they had heard…

Elder Qingzhuo was initially too shocked to believe, but when he heard that Elder Qingyi was going to take him back to the sect leader to explain in person, he had to believe it.

"Ah, so the sect already knows about the Southeast Province Sword Tomb incident, but nowadays, the death of Elder Xuanji from the Soul Predicting Path can be considered insignificant."

Elder Qingzhuo had this thought in his mind.

How could the death of a Nascent Soul Elder be compared to the destruction of Xuantian Sect and Yunxiao Sect, the two major Immortal Gates?

The latter kind of major event could shake the whole cultivation world with just one occurrence, let alone when they happen one after another and both involve a Qiao family member?

"Accepting reality is not too foolish," Elder Qingyi said lightly.

"Now, let’s have a talk."

He talked openly and honestly with Elder Qingzhuo, not because of their strong brotherly bond.

But now, they were like two grasshoppers tied on the same string.

Elder Qingyi was no ordinary elder; within the Great Dao Sect, he held great power, overseeing worldly affairs and acting as a representative of the sect in the mortal realm.

With the sudden emergence of a member from the Qiao family in Jiu Province causing such a commotion, it was likely that he would have to take responsibility and bear the wrath of the sect leader.

Therefore, he deliberately mentioned Elder Qingzhuo…

"Talk? About what?" Elder Qingzhuo frowned.

"Of course, to explain the whole story of the Sword Tomb matter."

"Don’t forget, what was it that the sect leader asked you to investigate overseas?"

"Do you know the details and origins of the Qiao family member? Do you have an idea?" Elder Qingyi asked calmly.

"If such a long time has passed and still no one knows…"

Every question he asked made Elder Qingzhuo’s face slightly dark, until in the end it was as dark as water.

"Senior brother, don’t worry, I have a good idea about this matter," Elder Qingzhuo said expressionlessly:

"For such a long time, I have been traveling outside, following the orders of our sect leader senior brother, investigating the details of the Qiao family members, and tracing the origins of the Qiao family members… Naturally, it is not that there are no clues or speculations at all."

Elder Qingzhuo did indeed have a good idea in mind.

If he doesn’t bring up something significant about this matter, maybe the sect leader, in a fit of anger, will revoke his position as a revered disciple, and give it to a disciple in the sect who was at the peak of the Golden Core stage and in urgent need of a breakthrough. This is something that can definitely happen.

………………………….

Half an hour later.

Two beams of light flew into the Great Dao Sect’s sect, heading straight for the main peak’s meeting hall.

The leader of the Great Dao Sect sat at the head of the table, quietly bowing his head and feeling a strong invisible pressure.

The other Nascent Soul Elders who used to sit on an equal footing with Elder Qingzhuo now stood on either side, their gaze following Elder Qingzhuo.

"Qingzhuo has arrived."

"Brother Qingzhuo, you have finally returned to the sect."

The gaze of the elders was solemn, without any hint of joking.

The two Immortal Gates disappeared silently, and Elder Qingzhuo was possibly the person in the sect who knew the most about the Qiao family.

So when Elder Qingzhuo returned.

He was no longer ashamed of being defeated by a mortal in the past.

He was now a wise person who could retreat unscathed from the martial arts of the Qiao family.

"Qingzhuo, you made me wait for a long time," said the leader of Great Dao Sect with a hint of impatience.

"Sorry, sect leader, it’s just that…" Elder Qingzhuo hesitated to explain, but was interrupted by the sect leader waving his hand.

"I don’t have time for beating around the bush, just speak plainly," instructed the sect leader.

Elder Qingzhuo quickly nodded.

Glancing at Qingyi beside him, he began to explain:

"In the Southeast Province Sword Tomb, the Immortal Xuanji from the Soul Predicting Path died because of–"

"Enough with the unnecessary details. Who asked you about this?" The leader of Great Dao Sect frowned, showing signs of impatience.

"If the Nascent Soul Immortal from the Soul Predicting Path dies, then so be it."

"He was too arrogant to face the Qiao family’s martial arts, that’s why he died in the hands of a Qiao family member; while you escaped in time and came out unharmed. Is there anything wrong with this?"

The question from the leader of the Great Dao Sect made Elder Qingzhuo feel confused once again.

Yes, what’s wrong with that?

It wasn’t until this moment that Elder Qingzhuo woke up as if from a dream.