Chapter 10: The Looming Storm of Battle Sparked by the Broken Engagement

"Good, good, Qianxue, you truly are the lucky star of our Shen family. From now on, you must serve the ancestor well, do you understand?" Shen Zhong felt as if he were dreaming. His own daughter had become the Dao companion of a late-stage Nascent Soul Immortal Lord. What was the Zhao family's prodigy compared to an Immortal Lord? He wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes.

"Rest assured, Immortal Lord. Upon returning, I will personally go to the Zhao family and break off the engagement," Shen Zhong declared with unwavering resolve. With a connection to the Immortal Lord, the Shen family would soar to unprecedented heights. The Zhao family would be crushed beneath their feet. Soon, the entire Four Seasons City would be dominated by the Shen family—no, not just the city, but the entire Lin'an Prefecture, perhaps even the Great Qian Dynasty. The Shen family would become one of the most illustrious clans.

Chu Feng waved his hand and said, "In three days, I will accompany Qianxue and make the trip myself."

Shen Zhong became even more excited. The Immortal Lord himself would escort his youngest daughter to dissolve the engagement, a clear sign of her importance.

As for breaking off the engagement, Chu Feng had no such intention; he simply planned to bring Shen Qianxue along. Chu Feng had a feeling that this trip might lead him to encounter a child of destiny—an ancient bloodline, arriving to propose marriage. All he needed now was an elder to accompany him, shouting, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, never underestimate the young and poor."

The disciples of Supreme Profound Dao Sect were countless; as a Nascent Soul Elder, a mere hint of his intentions would prompt countless people to curry favor and volunteer. Once the news spread, the entire sect was thrown into an uproar.

"We must go! Immortal Lord Chu Feng is always generous; serving him is sure to bring rewards."

"I truly envy Fairy Qianxue, to be so cherished by Immortal Lord Chu Feng."

Many rushed to sign up—outer disciples, inner disciples, core disciples. Even some Golden Core Elders were stirred.

Xiang Zhizhu, one of the sect's Golden Core Elders, proactively sought out Chu Feng.

Chu Feng welcomed them all, assigning Xiang Zhizhu to manage the ranks. Anyone willing to join would not be refused, though the outer and inner disciples were unnecessary; only core disciples with Foundation Establishment cultivation or higher were accepted.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

When Chu Feng saw the assembled disciples preparing to accompany him for the engagement dissolution, he was startled. Over a hundred had gathered—all Foundation Establishment or higher. Supreme Profound Dao Sect, a top-tier Daoist sect, had six Nascent Souls, more than thirty Golden Cores, and over four hundred Foundation Establishments. Here were more than a hundred Foundation Establishment disciples and five Golden Cores—nearly a quarter of the sect's combat strength. Was this a simple trip to break off an engagement? It looked more like a march to annihilate a clan.

"Immortal Lord."

Upon Chu Feng's arrival, everyone saluted in unison.

"So many..." Chu Feng could not help but marvel. He had expected twenty or thirty at most, but there were over a hundred.

The crowd responded eagerly, "It is our honor to serve the Immortal Lord."

Chu Feng waved his hand. "Since you are willing to follow, then let us go together."

"Set out!"

"Yes!" came the unified reply.

Shen Qianxue, standing nearby, felt her heart brim with sweetness. Her gaze toward Chu Feng was filled with gratitude and emotion.

Chu Feng himself hadn't expected his conquest value—which had reached 92%—to rise once more.

93%.

Fortune value: 93,000.

Shen Zhong, accompanying them home, was now awash with mixed emotions. In these three days, not only had he witnessed the might of the Supreme Profound Dao Sect, he also came to recognize his son-in-law's status. The only flaw was that this son-in-law seemed unlikely to live much longer. But it mattered little; after all, he was a Nascent Soul ancestor. For the Shen family, it was the difference between heaven and earth.

With a single command, the group set out in grand procession, leaving the Supreme Profound Dao Sect behind.

All along, though Chu Feng as a Nascent Soul Immortal Lord had never taken on disciples, his contributions to the sect were substantial. He enjoyed mentoring juniors and periodically taught at the Martial Hall, imparting cultivation knowledge to disciples. His prestige in the sect was considerable.

As in this instance, Chu Feng's generosity and benevolence played a part. Even Sect Master Xiang Yutian watched the scene with envy.

"Here I am, a dignified sect master, yet I am neither as carefree nor as respected as a single elder."

Linglong Peak.

Immortal Lord Linglong curiously asked her disciple, "Has something major happened in the sect?"

The disciple promptly replied, "Master, Immortal Lord Chu Feng has just taken a new Dao companion—Shen Qianxue, from a small clan. Apparently, she has an engagement in her hometown, so Immortal Lord Chu Feng is leading a group to break it off."

Lu Linglong frowned. "Just to break off an engagement, he brings so many people? He truly cares for Shen Qianxue."

"Rather than breaking off an engagement, it looks more like annihilating a clan."

...

Supreme Profound Dao Sect.

Countless sword lights shot into the sky, countless powerful auras radiated outward. Such a massive deployment immediately alarmed the surrounding factions. This was the first time in five hundred years.

"Is Supreme Profound Dao Sect moving against some power?"

"Such a large-scale mobilization, with a Nascent Soul Elder personally leading—could they be targeting another Dao sect? Supreme Profound Dao Sect is one of the three major sects in Sword Province; such an action would only make sense if they're challenging the other two."

Sword Province—one of the nine provinces of Eastern Wilderness—was home to three major Daoist sects: Supreme Profound Dao Sect, Azure Cloud Dao Sect, and Mysterious Heart Dao Sect, all of comparable strength.

Supreme Profound Dao Sect's actions were immediately known to the other two. Their sect masters quickly convened their strongest cultivators to discuss countermeasures, sending communication talismans to interrogate Xiang Yutian.

"Do you mean to start a war? We, the other two Dao sects, are not afraid to fight if you wish."

Xiang Yutian was startled. If war broke out, one-on-one might be manageable, but against both, Supreme Profound Dao Sect would not stand a chance. He hastily explained.

Breaking off an engagement.

The other two Dao sects, upon hearing the explanation, were clearly skeptical. To dissolve an engagement, you bring so many people, and the esteemed Nascent Soul Elder leads the way, taking a full fifth of the sect's combat power. Did they think the other sects fools?

Both Dao sects immediately mobilized, preparing for action at any moment.

For a time, all of Sword Province was swept by turbulent winds; a strange aura spread, the shadow of war darkening every heart. Should the three Dao sects clash, Sword Province would be engulfed in flames, countless cultivators perishing. Sect disciples might suffer less, but rogue cultivators would bear the brunt of casualties.

Chu Feng, leading the group to dissolve the engagement, was unaware of all this, yet deeply troubled. He simply meant to settle an engagement, but his entourage had stirred tensions among the three Dao sects, and the flames of war were gathering.