Chapter 24: The Turmoil in the Pure Land of the Mortal World

Xuan’ai Daoist Nun had been feeling inexplicably uneasy lately. When she heard that the Human Sovereign Jiang had visited the Pure Land of the Mortal World, her anxiety only grew, fearing that he might discover what was hidden above.

“No, no, it won’t happen. The disciples of the sect rarely interact with the Human Sovereign. The only ones receiving him will be the Holy Maiden and the Sect Leader, and neither of them has Gu worms.”

“But what if the Human Sovereign scans the disciples with his divine sense? No, no, Jiang is a righteous man. Scanning disciples would be the same as seeing them naked. That’s not something he would do.”

“But what if… what if he does? Jiang is always unpredictable. Who can guarantee he won’t suddenly act on lust?”

Hiding in a secret location within the Pure Land of the Mortal World, Xuan’ai Daoist Nun trembled, her teeth chattering. She kept trying to reassure herself, only to scare herself even more.

She was terrified. If the Holy Maiden and the Sect Leader discovered her plan, she was confident she could either resist or escape. But against the Human Sovereign of this era? She didn’t even dare to run. Suicide, allowing herself to reincarnate into the underworld, would be a far better fate than having her soul obliterated by Jiang.

“How can such a terrifying person exist in this world?”

As a native of the Nine Provinces, who hadn’t heard of Jiang Li’s legend? This was a man who had slain Nascent Soul cultivators while still at the Golden Core stage, and had killed Tribulation Stage cultivators while at the Soul Formation stage—a peerless and ruthless figure. The Human Sovereigns of past generations had all been immensely powerful, but none had ever been so absurdly strong.

And now, he had already reached the Mahayana Stage, comparable to a terrestrial immortal, likely even capable of slaying true celestial beings. A man like this would be a dominant overlord even in the Celestial Realm, let alone in the Nine Provinces.

Xuan’ai Daoist Nun had grown up within the imperial dynasty and had witnessed countless political schemes. But she had also seen how, under absolute power, all intrigue became meaningless. That was why she wholeheartedly believed in the idea that the strong should reign supreme and live as they pleased.

Later, she joined the Pure Land of the Mortal World, one of the six great sects. Through relentless effort, she reached the extremely rare Soul Formation Stage and became an elder—a status that demanded respect wherever she went.

But that wasn’t enough. Elders didn’t hold absolute authority. She wanted to be Sect Leader.

But no one would elect her.

It was a joke—who couldn’t see that if Xuan’ai became Sect Leader, the first thing she would do would be to take in countless disciples, dominate the world, and indulge in extreme pleasures? That went completely against the sect’s principles.

The name “Pure Land of the Mortal World” itself reflected its purpose—a sanctuary for peace amidst the mortal world.

Xuan’ai, however, had only the “mortal world” in her heart, but no “pure land.” Naturally, the other elders opposed her.

When she realized she couldn’t become Sect Leader, she turned to lording over the disciples, using fear to rule—those who obeyed thrived, those who defied perished. She indulged in the pleasures of power.

Before long, the disciples reported her. Daoist Nun Qingyu convened the Elder Council and decided to expel Xuan’ai from the sect.

After leaving, Xuan’ai wandered aimlessly and stumbled upon the hidden land of the Gu Clan.

To the Gu Clan, who only had Nascent Soul cultivators, she—a Soul Formation expert—was an unstoppable force. She roamed freely, learning Gu techniques at will, taking whatever Gu worms she pleased.

Eventually, she mastered the art of Gu and devised a plan to return to the Pure Land of the Mortal World.

She was confident. The sect was filled with naive souls who had never seen the bloodshed and brutality of the world. A flock of helpless sheep. With her skills and Gu techniques, taking control would be effortless.

To poison the sect’s spiritual grains, she had to act at the source—doing it within the sect would risk discovery by the elders.

Her original plan was to massacre an entire small town and use corpse Gu to control the bodies. But before she could act, Yuan Ling had already slaughtered two towns and used inferior corpse Gu to manipulate them.

Excited, Xuan’ai killed Yuan Ling and used her own corpse Gu to take control of the bodies. Every autumn harvest, she had Yuan Ling and Du Xiner poison the grains while she hid in a secret sect location, closely observing developments and adjusting her plan as needed.

She secretly poisoned disciples and successfully controlled several Soul Formation cultivators.

For fifty years, every Nascent Soul disciple fell under her control, and even among the Soul Formation stage, she had many under her influence—two of whom had even broken through to the Soul Formation stage.

Her original plan was to wait another fifty years until more of her controlled disciples reached Soul Formation before making her move.

But an unexpected turn of events forced her to act early.

She heard that the Ancestral Master of the Mortal World had been resurrected.

Xuan’ai had only ever heard legends of the Ancestral Master but had never seen a painting of them. She had always assumed it was mere self-aggrandizement by the sect to boost its reputation. But curiosity got the better of her—she wanted to see if this legendary figure was truly as mesmerizing as the stories claimed.

Daoist Nun Qingyu couldn’t meet the Ancestral Master herself, but worried that they would wake up alone, she had a descendant of the master stand guard. What she didn’t know was that this descendant had long been implanted with a Mind-Control Gu.

Xuan’ai summoned the descendant and had them paint a portrait of the Ancestral Master.

When she saw the painting, it was as if she had been struck by lightning. Her breathing became heavy.

Could such unparalleled beauty truly exist? This painting—was someone as lowly as herself even worthy of gazing upon it? Strength should claim beauty…

Her scattered thoughts swirled chaotically, eventually converging into a single obsession:

Possess her, possess her, possess her!

Xuan’ai immediately decided to stage a coup and seize power.

She would remain by the Ancestral Master’s side for eternity!

“Xuan’ai! What are you doing here?!” Daoist Nun Qingyu was horrified to see Xuan’ai before her, especially flanked by a mass of disciples—including two Soul Formation cultivators. She could hardly believe her eyes.

The other elders were also thrown into chaos, completely unprepared for what was happening.

A coup?

That was something out of storybooks—how could it possibly be happening in the Pure Land of the Mortal World?

“You don’t even call me ‘Junior Sister’ anymore? I’m so heartbroken, Senior Sister Qingyu.” Xuan’ai smiled, full of confidence.

“I should have killed you with a single palm strike back then!”

Daoist Nun Qingyu seethed with rage, but she wasn’t afraid of Xuan’ai. She was confident she could defeat her within thirty moves.

Xuan’ai’s nature was incompatible with the sect’s cultivation techniques, making her the weakest among the Soul Formation cultivators. The present elders were confident in subduing her.

Five elders and a Sect Leader—six Soul Formation cultivators in total. On Xuan’ai’s side, even counting her, there were only three. The power difference was vast.

“Such arrogance, Senior Sister Qingyu. If we’re talking about combat, of course, I would concede. But these disciples—every single one of them is under my Mind-Control Gu. Their lives are at my mercy. If you dare lay a finger on me, I will command one of them to kill themselves immediately.”

Xuan’ai spoke casually. Qingyu, who had already begun her attack, forcibly stopped mid-strike. The five elders hesitated, afraid to act rashly.

Seeing their indecision, Xuan’ai continued, “You don’t believe me? Allow me to demonstrate.”

A disciple stepped forward without hesitation, reached into their own chest, and tore out their heart. They collapsed, dead on the spot.

“Xuan’ai!” Qingyu’s fury reached its peak. Her eyes widened in disbelief, blood trickling from them. Her rage soared into the heavens. Above her, thunder roared, the very skies trembling—an omen of her impending Tribulation Stage breakthrough!

She hated herself for showing mercy back then. She hated herself for failing to notice the Mind-Control Gu. She hated that she wasn’t as powerful as Jiang Li.

She hated!