Elite disciple Chu Xinghe was wandering around the sect...
He thought it was already absurd enough that those core disciples would call him Senior Brother Xinghe at the slightest disagreement, but damn, Ma Liang was even more outrageous.
Recently, he heard that Ma Liang had been roaming around the inner sect...
Seriously... Ma Liang, do you know you're an outer sect disciple?
You should be staying in the outer sect, behaving yourself, you know that?
But damn, what do you mean by wandering around the inner sect at the slightest disagreement?
And what's even more exasperating is that wherever Ma Liang goes, even the core disciples have to respectfully salute and call him Senior Brother Ma Liang.
Ma Liang didn't feel the slightest bit ashamed. Whenever he faced the saluting core disciples, he would smile and nod as usual, then shamelessly critique their cultivation level and encourage them to work harder.
Damn, you're an outer sect disciple, how do you have the audacity to come to the inner sect and boss people around like this?
Not only did the other palaces have no reaction to Ma Liang becoming an outer sect disciple, but even the Spirit Crane Palace didn't.Ma Liang, as usual, grabbed Mu Bai and the others, criticized them, and said, "Mu Bai... how long have you been working on that automatic alchemy? No progress at all... your skills are really lacking."
The usually honest Mu Bai was almost brought to tears by Ma Liang's criticism.
Then, as usual, Ma Liang strolled over to the pill room of the Spirit Crane Palace, casually grabbed a bunch of pills from the warehouse, popped them as he left, swaying leisurely.
The disciples guarding the pill room acted as if they hadn't seen anything the whole time.
Ma Liang, an outer sect disciple, comes to our Spirit Crane Palace to take pills... and you all pretend not to see? How can you face the sect?
Chu Xinghe severely criticized the core disciples guarding the pill room for this.
"Senior Brother Xinghe... Senior Brother Ma Liang often helps our Spirit Crane Palace, taking a few pills isn't a big deal, right?"
"Yeah, yeah... Senior Brother Ma Liang is really nice..."
"Nice my ass! He's an outer sect disciple, taking pills here is against the rules, don't you know?"
The junior brothers fell silent at Senior Brother Xinghe's criticism, but it seemed Senior Brother Xinghe forgot... you're just an elite disciple too, scolding us core disciples so harshly isn't exactly by the rules either, is it?
That day, Chu Xinghe had just finished breakfast when he saw Senior Brother Shen Chun pop out from who knows where.
"Junior Brother Xinghe, the Deputy Sect Master has finished his seclusion and wants you to continue studying at the Grand Sky Palace."
"Huh? Really? Is it appropriate for an elite disciple like me to study there?"
Shen Chun chose to ignore Junior Brother Xinghe's shamelessness...
Junior Brother Xinghe, you know, your shamelessness is quite similar to Ma Liang's...
Elite disciple Chu Xinghe made his way to the Grand Sky Palace, not even having time to take out his Grand Sky Token before the brothers guarding the palace cheerfully let him through.
Upon arriving at the Deputy Sect Master's courtyard, the Deputy Sect Master seemed to be in a great mood.
Throughout the day's teachings, the Deputy Sect Master wore a smile, and Chu Xinghe couldn't help but wonder if the Deputy Sect Master had made a significant breakthrough during his seclusion.
In the afternoon, after the formation teachings concluded, Chu Xinghe was about to leave when Yan Shoujing called him back.
"Xinghe, don't rush off, sit!"
"Yes..."
"You did well with the Great Moon Nation affair, and Ma Liang wasn't wrong either. But speaking of Ma Liang, although he's only my nominal personal disciple and I haven't taught him, I still feel a bit saddened that he's been relegated to the outer sect."
"Deputy Sect Master, rest assured, Ma Liang is doing quite well in the outer sect... ahem..."
Chu Xinghe didn't even want to talk about Ma Liang, that guy didn't seem like he was relegated to the outer sect at all.
"Then I'm relieved. Also, Xinghe, this item is called the Soul Devouring Banner, something I acquired by chance. I noticed its aura seems to match the Feng City Formation. Why don't you help me deliver it to Ma Liang?"
"Soul Devouring Banner?" Chu Xinghe took the Soul Devouring Banner from the Deputy Sect Master, looking puzzled.
Yan Shoujing was secretly pleased to see Chu Xinghe's puzzled expression. Initially, he thought about discreetly letting Chu Xinghe find it by chance, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Does Chu Xinghe have a normal brain?
Didn't he suffer enough from the Spirit Detonation Orb plans last time?
If he threw this to Chu Xinghe, who knows if Chu Xinghe would just hide it away?
He couldn't produce more Soul Devouring Banners like he could with plans, so even though delivering it through Chu Xinghe might expose him, he hadn't mentioned the effects of the Soul Devouring Banner at all. Even if there were issues later, it would be Ma Liang's problem, right?
Seeing Chu Xinghe promise to deliver it to Ma Liang with a puzzled look, Yan Shoujing repeatedly reminded him, Xinghe... make sure to deliver it to Ma Liang quickly, don't forget... preferably tonight.
Leaving the Grand Sky Palace, Chu Xinghe looked at the Soul Devouring Banner with a helpless expression... Although he didn't know what it was, the Deputy Sect Master wasn't wrong; its aura was too similar. If he gave it to Ma Liang, wouldn't Ma Liang's Feng City Formation soar on the spot?
But if he didn't deliver it... the Deputy Sect Master's gift, he had no reason not to deliver it...
Helpless, Chu Xinghe could only go to the outer sect to find Ma Liang, intending to hand over the Soul Devouring Banner.
But upon inquiry, the outer sect disciples said Senior Brother Ma Liang wasn't in the outer sect, he was in the inner sect.
Listen! Ma Liang, an outer sect disciple, what the hell are you doing in the inner sect every day?
Soon, in the inner sect, Chu Xinghe finally found Ma Liang, but seeing Ma Liang at that moment made Chu Xinghe smile.
Because Ma Liang was surrounded by two people, and it looked like they were about to fight...
These two were none other than Lu Chengqing, the head of the Southern Branch of the Grand Sky Chamber of Commerce, and Sima Bian, the head of the Northern Branch.
At that moment, Sima Bian and Lu Chengqing were at each other's throats!
Seeing this scene, Chu Xinghe almost shed tears.
Finally, finally... what he wanted was finally happening!
The Northern Branch's rise was all thanks to Ma Liang, the traitor, whose Wan Ghost Pills propelled the Northern Branch to the ninth heaven!
The sales figures were unbeatable.
And now, the Southern Branch, leveraging Ma Liang's Wan Ghost Formation to produce various fantasy films, had already garnered a group of enthusiastic fans even before release.
Lu Chengqing's Respect List was updated daily, with fierce competition among the big shots sending their respects.
But there was only one Wan Ghost Formation. If Ma Liang used it for pill refining, it couldn't be used for performances, and vice versa.
So how could Chu Xinghe lose this time?
What? You're not going to tell me the Feng City Formation can split into avatars, are you?
Ma Liang's Feng City Formation couldn't possibly be that outrageous!
"Senior Brother Xinghe!" Seeing Senior Brother Xinghe approaching from afar, Lu Chengqing and Sima Bian left Ma Liang and rushed to surround Chu Xinghe.
"Senior Brother Xinghe, you be the judge. The monthly profits from the Wan Ghost Pills are enormous for the sect, and now Lu Chengqing wants to cut off my supply, that's practically treason!"
"Sima Bian, stop spouting nonsense! Look at my Respect List, if it takes off, it won't be any worse than your pill sales!"
"You said it yourself, if... if it doesn't work out? Won't that delay the Northern Branch?"
Chu Xinghe was quite impressed with Sima Bian's words... Sima Bian, you're not wrong, if it doesn't work out, the sect would suffer a huge loss...
So Chu Xinghe spoke up, "Sima Bian, you're right, if it doesn't work out, won't it delay the Northern Branch?"
Sima Bian stood tall, see, Senior Brother Xinghe is on my side.
"So Lu Chengqing, you have to work hard, you can't fail... the Feng City Formation is yours now. As for the pills... Sima Bian, pill refining should be left to the professionals. I heard Mu Bai is working on some automatic pill refining, you should talk to him!"
Sima Bian was dumbfounded...
Wait... Senior Brother Xinghe, what about the delay for the Northern Branch?
Mu Bai and his team are strong, but isn't automatic pill refining a bit too far-fetched?
Sima Bian had asked around recently, but Mu Bai's response was that there was no progress. Although their Muyue Nation cultivated all sorts of chaotic and diverse pills, automatic pill refining was completely impossible, wasn't it...
So the Feng City Formation was the real safe bet...
But since Senior Brother Xinghe had spoken, Sima Bian could only reluctantly accept and leave for the Spirit Crane Palace.
After sending off Sima Bian, Lu Chengqing was teary-eyed, grateful for Senior Brother Xinghe's support for the Southern Branch, even temporarily cutting off the Northern Branch's pills to back them. Lu Chengqing vowed not to disappoint Senior Brother Xinghe.
After comforting Lu Chengqing, Chu Xinghe unhappily took out the Soul Devouring Banner from his Space Ring.
"Senior Brother Xinghe, is this for me? The aura on this thing seems quite similar to the Feng City Formation! Ma Liang thanks Senior Brother Xinghe!"
Ma Liang was ecstatic, see... I knew I was Senior Brother Xinghe's most trusted aide, he always thinks of me first.
But before Ma Liang could say more, Chu Xinghe spoke up, "Ma Liang, this Soul Devouring Banner isn't from me, it's from the Deputy Sect Master for you."
"Deputy Sect Master?" Ma Liang was taken aback. Although he was once the Deputy Sect Master's nominal personal disciple, it was just in name.
Unexpectedly, the Deputy Sect Master remembered him...
Indeed, Ma Liang was blessed by the heavens, not only Senior Brother Xinghe but so many people were watching over him.
Deputy Sect Master, right!
Rest assured, Deputy Sect Master, I, Ma Liang, am a person who knows how to repay kindness. Since the Deputy Sect Master remembers me, I will treat you just like I treat Senior Brother Xinghe!
I, Ma Liang, will not let the Deputy Sect Master down!
Now that the Deputy Sect Master has given me this Soul Devouring Banner, I, Ma Liang, will surely give the Deputy Sect Master a huge surprise in return!
Chu Xinghe didn't know what Ma Liang would do with the Soul Devouring Banner, but based on his understanding of Ma Liang, his brain would surely come up with something different.
With the Deputy Sect Master's efforts to help Ma Liang, Ma Liang would surely give the Deputy Sect Master a huge surprise this time!