Cultivating with Top Enlightenment Chapter 631 - 285: Killing the Chickens to Warn the Monkeys (Part 4)

A long moment passed before the crowd finally exhaled, their senses returning to them as the initial shock faded.

"Our congratulations to Sect Leader Ning. The destruction of the Beixuan Upper Sect is a loss, but knowing the Infinite Sword Sect has ascended even higher brings us great peace of mind."

Their relief stemmed from a simple fact: the Beixuan Domain had lacked an Integration Realm powerhouse for a long time. They knew the neighboring Southern True Domain would inevitably dispatch Integration Realm elites to scout the Beixuan Domain.

While the Beixuan Domain was inferior to the Southern True Domain, it was still an entire domain; the top sects of the Southern True Domain would never overlook such a tempting prize.

With heavy and complex emotions, the representatives returned to their respective homes to brief their own leaders.

Predictably, this news sent another wave of shock through the various sect leaders!

One after another, they issued strict commands: from this day forward, the Infinite Sword Sect was never to be provoked.

However, a few sects had been absent from the gathering. Coincidentally, among them was the group that had lost five of their Great Powers to Ning Qi’s blade during their last encounter.

Having lost their Great Powers, they felt fortunate enough not to have sought vengeance, yet a deep-seated resentment lingered within their ranks.

Consequently, when the Feather Transformation Upper Sect arrived from the Southern True Domain to exert influence over the Beixuan Domain, these Five Sects had immediately aligned with them.

They had followed in the wake of the newcomers, scavenging the remaining assets of the Beixuan Upper Sect. Seeing the Infinite Sword Sect maintaining a quiet profile, they had used the Feather Transformation Upper Sect's momentum to seize some of the Infinite Sword Sect’s own properties.

But now, despite their absence at the ceremony, they received undeniable confirmation from other sects regarding Ning Qi’s breakthrough into the Integration Realm.

Three of those sects immediately sent envoys rushing over in a panic.

Ning Qi gave them no face and refused to grant them a personal audience, leaving Vice Sect Leader Cang Wanhe to manage the situation.

Eventually, through Cang Wanhe’s mediation, a resolution was reached.

Not only did these three sects return every stolen resource of the Infinite Sword Sect intact, but they also offered a mountain of additional gifts to celebrate Ning Qi’s ascension to the status of a Giant.

It was obvious to everyone that these "congratulations" were merely reparations, born of the fear that Ning Qi would come to settle accounts.

Even though the Feather Transformation Upper Sect intended to expand into the Beixuan Domain, these local sects were far more terrified of Ning Qi’s immediate power.

After all, Ning Qi was capable of slaughtering unparalleled Great Powers even before his breakthrough; what could he accomplish now that he had ascended?

Of the original Five Sects, three had come forward to beg for forgiveness, while two remained stubbornly absent.

They were loath to surrender their ill-gotten gains. They rationalized that since Ning Qi had killed their Great Powers, seizing the Infinite Sword Sect’s resources was fair compensation to satisfy their own sect members.

Furthermore, the Feather Transformation Upper Sect had stood in the Southern True Domain for hundreds of thousands of years. There was no doubt that their top sects far surpassed those of the Beixuan Domain.

Ning Qi had only just reached the Integration Realm; how could he possibly stand against the veteran Giants of the Southern True Domain’s elite sects?

Ning Qi merely smiled; the perfect candidates to serve as a warning to others had finally surfaced.

He commanded a sect elder to deliver a direct message: a one-month deadline was set. He warned the two missing sects that if they did not appear by then, they would have to suffer the consequences themselves.

One of these two sects called a grand assembly, bringing together the sect leader, the elders, and the true inheritors for a desperate consultation.

In the end, they realized the Infinite Sword Sect’s momentum was unstoppable. Since Ning Qi earned his reputation as an Immortal Species, he had been undefeated in battle, and no one had ever truly forced him to reveal the limits of his power.

Besides, the Feather Transformation Upper Sect was rooted in the Southern True Domain. Even if they did push north, would they actually protect these minor sects?

Thus, with only three days left in the month, that sect leader personally traveled to the Infinite Sword Sect.

He took on an incredibly subservient role, not only restoring all seized assets but also handing over fifty years' worth of his sect’s resources as a tribute.

He further confessed to Ning Qi that their provocations were instigated by the Feather Transformation Upper Sect, and even hinted that the Celestial Star Upper Sect intended to get involved.

He pleaded for Ning Qi to acknowledge their cooperation and show mercy.

Ning Qi fell silent for a moment, casting a calm, indifferent look at the sect leader.

The man was too terrified to even breathe, standing there drenched in a cold sweat as if he had just been pulled from a lake.

He had personally met the envoy from the Feather Transformation Upper Sect and felt the man was truly worthy of a top sect—imposing and dignified.

Yet, facing Ning Qi now, he understood that one was crawling on the earth while the other soared in the heavens; the disparity was as vast as the distance between clouds and mud.

"Very well, you are pardoned this time. But if you dare attempt this again, you will quickly discover your fate!"

"Our deepest thanks, Sect Leader Ning!"

Three days passed quietly, and when the deadline expired, the final holdout—the Blood Demon Sect—had still failed to appear.

Ning Qi was not provoked to anger; finding a bone tough enough to chew on was exactly what he had been hoping for.

On that day.

Leaving the Sword Ancestor to protect the Infinite Sword Sect, Ning Qi led a formidable contingent of Great Powers and True Inheritors, marching directly toward the Blood Demon Sect.