This passage is filled with information, and Chen Xiao managed to glean a few things from it.
"So," he asked, "what were the specific conflicts that led to the disintegration of the Three Sects? Would it be convenient for the Sect Leader to disclose?"
Ziwei Dao Shou smiled, as if she had anticipated his question. "Some things, I wonder if you've heard of them."
"What does the Dao Shou mean?" Chen Xiao inquired, having heard a great many things. He wasn't sure which one Ziwei was referring to.
"The great calamity five hundred years ago. Human cultivators adopted a policy of non-resistance, even siding with the Celestial beings and turning against the Kyushu races to curry favor with them. Have you heard of this matter?" Ziwei Dao Shou asked.
Chen Xiao did not deny it and nodded. "I have heard of it. I wonder if this matter is true?" This was something Tu Shan Che had told him, but given Tu Shan Che's identity, Chen Xiao was unsure if he had embellished the events.
Ziwei Dao Shou seemed to see through Chen Xiao and nodded slightly. "If viewed from the perspective of demon cultivators, that is indeed how it happened." She then sighed, "However... alas, never mind. Discussions on this matter have never ceased for five hundred years, and I cannot explain it clearly in a few words."
Ziwei Dao Shou suddenly sighed, "You just need to know one thing: the Immortal Sects were not monolithic. We, the Earth Sect, opposed such a conciliatory approach." 'Conciliatory' was the most polite term Ziwei Dao Shou could think of; in reality, she wanted to say 'survival at any cost'!
"That's why I told you earlier that I took a liking to you, and I wasn't joking. Because in my eyes, you are the one who can break this deadlock!" Ziwei Dao Shou stared intently at Chen Xiao, as if awaiting his reaction.
Chen Xiao nodded. "Yes, I roughly understand what the Dao Shou means. And my purpose in coming to the Immortal Hidden Realm this time is also for the God-Slaying Sword. Once I obtain it and gather the five sacred relics, perhaps some unknown mysteries will be revealed."
Ziwei Dao Shou nodded. "Therefore, I will do my utmost to help you obtain the God-Slaying Sword in this Heavenly Talent Competition. However, you must be extremely careful, as the Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect will not be as friendly to you as our Earth Sect."
Chen Xiao nodded. "I understand."
"For thousands of years, you have been Kyushu's greatest hope, and its last hope. The burden on your shoulders is immense," Ziwei Dao Shou said calmly. Despite her serious expression, she remained captivating.
Chen Xiao turned his head away, deliberately avoiding looking at the alluring 'ripe peach'. A silence fell between them, the atmosphere becoming somewhat heavy.
Chen Xiao suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, Ziwei Dao Shou, who are the White-Robed Sorcerers?"
"If you don't mind, you can call me Ziwei from now on," Ziwei Dao Shou said with a smile. Then she shook her head. "What are the White-Robed Sorcerers? I've never heard of them."
Ziwei Dao Shou's latter statement shocked Chen Xiao even more than her former. It was so surprising that Chen Xiao momentarily forgot about Ziwei Dao Shou's ambiguous attitude towards him.
"What? You haven't heard of the White-Robed Sorcerers? The Heavenly Talent Competition fifty years ago was when the White-Robed Sorcerers received the recognition of the Three Books, opened the Sacred Treasure Platform, and obtained the Yin-Yang Jade!" Chen Xiao exclaimed with exaggerated confusion. "Ziwei, don't you remember this?"
Ziwei Dao Shou's face showed a look of deep thought as she murmured, "White-Robed Sorcerers, opened the Sacred Treasure Platform, obtained the Yin-Yang Jade..." She then added, "I remember opening the Sacred Treasure Platform and obtaining the Yin-Yang Jade, but the White-Robed Sorcerers, I have no impression of them at all. I've never heard of them." Ziwei Dao Shou said with a troubled expression.
"Then, in your memory, who obtained the Yin-Yang Jade?" Chen Xiao pressed.
Ziwei Dao Shou gave a wry smile. "Something is wrong. My memory is faulty. When I think about this matter, my mind is a complete fog. I can't recall anything."
Chen Xiao was shocked and bewildered. Seeing the people lying on the ground, he suddenly thought of a possibility. Could it be that the Earth Sect Dao Shou's memory had been erased?
Hmm? If that were the case, how powerful would that person have to be? Even the Earth Sect Dao Shou had fallen victim to them. No, they must have used some special means! If they possessed such absolute strength, they wouldn't be hiding in the shadows. The White-Robed Sorcerers, Chen Sihai... what secrets did this person hide? Chen Xiao was certain that the White-Robed Sorcerers and Chen Sihai were real, as he had witnessed them himself.
The Earth Sect Dao Shou also seemed to have considered this possibility. She moved slightly and said, "Could it be that my memory has been erased?"
Chen Xiao nodded. "This possibility is very high." He then suddenly wondered, "By the way, Zhang Longhu of the True Martial Sect told me about this. Why is it that your memory of the White-Robed Sorcerers was erased, but his wasn't?"
"Zhang Longhu actually remembers this... The answer to this question is simple, why not just go and ask him!" Ziwei Dao Shou said directly.
"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking!" With that, Chen Xiao took out his Judge's Brush. He rapidly wrote on the ground, "Ziwei and I are at the True Martial Sect!"
However, there was no flash of light, and they were not teleported to the True Martial Sect. Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback. The Judge's Brush could be used in the Underworld and the mortal world, but it didn't work in the Immortal Hidden Realm?
Ziwei smiled slightly. "Silly boy, teleportation treasures like the Judge's Brush don't work in the Immortal Hidden Realm. The Immortal Hidden Realm has its own rules!" Saying this, she suddenly took Chen Xiao's hand and said, "I'll take you."
Her soft hand in his, Chen Xiao's heart fluttered. Such a soft, smooth, and delicate hand, making him reluctant to let go. Then, Chen Xiao felt a flash of light, and after a shift in scenery, they found themselves in the main hall of the True Martial Sect.
"Who dares to trespass into our True Martial Sect? Do you not wish to live... Zi, Ziwei Dao Shou? How is it you?" A middle-aged Daoist monk shouted at Chen Xiao and Ziwei. Upon recognizing Ziwei Dao Shou, his eyes were filled with shock. Especially when he saw Ziwei Dao Shou's hand holding onto a strange man, his eyes even ignited with a fierce flame. It was the fire of jealousy, the fire of gossip.
Ziwei Dao Shou's face turned stern, and she quietly withdrew her hand from Chen Xiao's. In the presence of outsiders, she maintained her dignity and solemnity, though she remained alluring, exuding the fragrance of a ripe peach.
"Where is Zhang Longhu? Quickly summon him to see me!" To divert the other person's attention from the 'hand-holding' incident, Chen Xiao shouted.
"Who are you?" the middle-aged Daoist monk asked.
"Don't you remember me? Can't you recognize my appearance, or hear my voice?" This middle-aged Daoist monk was Zhang Longhu's junior brother, and the master of Saint Son Li Bei Wu. However, the middle-aged Daoist monk looked at Chen Xiao with a blank expression. "I haven't seen you, nor have I heard your voice."
Chen Xiao was stunned for a moment, then said, "A few days ago, someone took five hundred thousand spirit stones from your True Martial Sect. You must remember that, right?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged Daoist monk's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Good! So it was you who emptied our True Martial Sect's treasury!" He was so enraged that if Ziwei Dao Shou hadn't been present, he would have attacked Chen Xiao.
"Ziwei Dao Shou, how can you be associated with such a scoundrel!" the middle-aged Daoist monk said with incomprehension and a helpless sigh.
Ziwei Dao Shou frowned and glanced at Chen Xiao. "Stole spirit stones?"
Chen Xiao spread his hands. "I didn't steal them; Zhang Longhu gave them to me personally." Chen Xiao indeed hadn't stolen them... he had painstakingly extorted them. How could that be called stealing?
"Our Sect Leader personally gave them to you? Then tell me, when did our Sect Leader give them to you?" the middle-aged Daoist monk asked.
"The day before yesterday!" Chen Xiao recalled. "At that time, your True Martial Sect's elders were all present. They can testify!"
"You're talking nonsense!" The middle-aged Daoist monk became furious upon hearing Chen Xiao's words. "Kid, don't spout rubbish. Our Sect Leader brother disappeared more than ten days ago. How could he have given you five hundred thousand spirit stones the day before yesterday? Pure fabrication!"
Seeing the middle-aged Daoist monk's confident demeanor, Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback, and he suddenly thought of something. Ziwei Dao Shou, however, said, "In that case, please trouble Junior Brother Lin to summon the elders."
"As you command, Ziwei Dao Shou!" Hearing Ziwei Dao Shou address him as Junior Brother Lin, the middle-aged Daoist monk surnamed Lin was immediately honored. He clearly hadn't expected the dignified Earth Sect Dao Shou to remember his surname.
Shortly after, several elders of the True Martial Sect were summoned. Like the middle-aged Daoist monk surnamed Lin, they had no impression of Chen Xiao and stated that Sect Leader Zhang Longhu had been missing for about ten days.
Chen Xiao and Ziwei Dao Shou exchanged glances, both of them simultaneously thinking of a possibility.
"Do you have any other clues?" Ziwei Dao Shou asked.
Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Longhu mentioned that my identity was revealed to him by Jiao Lian of the Heavenly Lotus Sect."
"Let's go find Jiao Lian!" Ziwei Dao Shou said without hesitation. She grabbed Chen Xiao's hand, and with a thought, they transformed into a beam of light and vanished from the spot.
Only a group of True Martial Sect elders were left behind, looking at each other in bewilderment...
The next moment, Chen Xiao and Ziwei Dao Shou appeared at the Heavenly Lotus Sect. Qinglian Dao Shou was naturally shocked to see Chen Xiao, and even more so when she saw Ziwei Dao Shou beside him. Finally, noticing their hands were clasped together, she was so shocked that she almost cried out.
"Disciple Qinglian of the Heavenly Lotus Sect, greets Ziwei Dao Shou!" After regaining her composure, Qinglian said with utmost respect. Although she was also a Dao Shou, and Ziwei was also a Dao Shou, in Ziwei's presence, she could only consider herself a disciple.
Before Ziwei Dao Shou could reply, Chen Xiao waved his hand grandly. "Qinglian Dao Shou, go and summon Jiao Lian for me!"