Chapter 28: The Seven Factions and the Sword Comprehension Pagoda

A young man, clad in black robes adorned with red patterns, swiftly piloted a fiery red flying sword, carrying Su Yun away from Forging Peak.

“Brother Luo Yang,” Su Yun inquired, “are there any particular things we should be mindful of at Spirit Sword Mountain? This is my first time heading to the Sword Comprehension Pagoda, and I’d rather not stir up any trouble.”

Luo Yang paused, surprised by Su Yun’s question. After a moment of careful thought, he replied.

“Our Forging Peak has always abstained from the sect’s daily affairs, and we have no conflicts of interest with the factions of other elders,” Luo Yang explained. “Theoretically, we are a neutral faction. However, Spirit Sword Mountain is vast, with six managing elders, each overseeing their own peak and recruiting disciples. Naturally, with more disciples, conflicts of interest are bound to arise.”

“Over time,” he continued, “factions with grievances inevitably grow hostile towards one another, vying for every little thing.” Luo Yang then elaborated on the current state of Spirit Sword Mountain.

Spirit Sword Mountain boasted seven major factions. The strongest was the Sky Sword Peak main lineage, led by Sect Master Jiang Shengming. Following this were the Thunder Peak, controlled by the Grand Elder; Blazing Flame Peak, by the Second Elder; Azure Cloud Peak, by the Third Elder; Cold Spirit Peak, by the Fourth Elder; Violet Haze Peak, by the Fifth Elder; and Azure Waves Peak, by the Sixth Elder.

These seven factions constituted the core power of Spirit Sword Mountain. Among them, Sky Sword Peak, being directly under the Sect Master, naturally possessed the largest number of elite disciples, securing an unshakeable position.

The other six factions, however, each had their unique characteristics and often engaged in fierce competition. This rivalry was unavoidable, for interests were never granted willingly; they had to be seized through struggle.

Such was the reality for all sects. Cultivation resources were finite, not limitless, and the strength of a faction dictated its share of the sect’s resources. Every ten years, Spirit Sword Mountain held the Seven Peaks Martial Gathering, where all seven factions converged to compete for the allocation of resources for the coming decade.

This competitive system naturally bred resentment in the defeated factions towards those who triumphed over them. Moreover, disciples vying for personal gain in various sect activities, often at the expense of other factions, frequently sparked numerous problems.

This extended beyond mere factional disputes; even within a single faction, unity was rarely absolute. More often than not, when personal interests were at stake, few disciples would willingly cede their gains to others within their own ranks.

Ultimately, it all boiled down to a single truth: the strong reigned supreme, and the weak held no standing.

Luo Yang imparted a great deal of advice to Su Yun. His main point was to stay clear of any conflicts between cultivators from other factions, to avoid meddling, and she would largely steer clear of trouble.

After listening, Su Yun couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

“Alas! Where there are people, there will always be strife.”

“Haha, indeed,” Luo Yang chuckled. “But we on Forging Peak are free from such struggles. We have no conflicts of interest among ourselves. Everything depends solely on one’s forging skill. If your skill isn’t up to par, then it simply isn’t; there are no excuses. Unlike those seven factions, where losing a spar often comes with a myriad of justifications.”

Indeed, sparring and combat involved too many variables. A loser could always find a reason for their defeat, and with that reason, dissatisfaction would inevitably fester.

As Su Yun and Luo Yang conversed, they soon arrived at the Sword Comprehension Pagoda. This pagoda was a public area shared by the entire sect, belonging to no single faction. From a distance, it appeared as a mountain shaped like a towering pagoda, rather than a structure built atop a conventional peak.

The moment they arrived, Su Yun felt the surrounding spiritual energy rapidly converging towards the mountain. It was as if some unseen force was drawing in the ambient spiritual essence.

“Such dense spiritual energy,” Su Yun remarked. “It’s indeed far richer than anywhere else.”

“Indeed,” Luo Yang affirmed. “This place was meticulously constructed by the sect through the efforts of several generations. However, junior sister, I must caution you: while the spiritual energy grows denser the higher you ascend, I suggest you find a cultivation chamber on the first floor. Given your current cultivation realm, it’s not advisable to venture higher.”

The reason for this was simple: each floor of the Sword Comprehension Pagoda possessed a different intensity of spiritual energy. Concurrently, the number of cultivation chambers decreased with each ascending floor. To secure a superior cultivation chamber, one had to rely solely on their own capabilities.

For instance, if Su Yun desired to cultivate on the second floor, and all chambers were already occupied, she would have no choice but to challenge a cultivator within. The victor would claim the stone chamber, while the defeated would be forced to leave. Here, only strength truly spoke.

At that moment, a considerable number of disciples were entering and exiting the Sword Comprehension Pagoda, a constant stream of movement.

Many disciples passing by Su Yun and Luo Yang cast curious glances at her. Su Yun’s attire was undeniably striking, a vibrant fiery red that stood out prominently.

“Look, aren’t those disciples from Forging Peak?” a few Azure Cloud Peak disciples whispered amongst themselves, curiosity piqued. “Strange, how does Forging Peak have a female disciple now? And such a beautiful one at that!”

“Tsk, tsk, truly stunning,” another remarked. “I always thought Lin Shuang and Lin Xue from the main peak were the prettiest female disciples in Spirit Sword Mountain, but now there’s someone even more beautiful. A direct disciple? No way, Elder Lei Yan taking a female direct disciple? That’s just unbelievable.”

Su Yun and Luo Yang soon descended onto a platform surrounding the Sword Comprehension Pagoda.

“Junior sister, this way,” Luo Yang said, his voice cheerful as he led Su Yun into the pagoda’s interior.

The sight of Su Yun drew an almost one hundred percent return rate from the other disciples. Even female disciples couldn’t help but steal glances at the unfamiliar, striking young woman.

“Eh? Isn’t that Junior Brother Luo from Forging Peak? And who might this junior sister be?” Just as they entered, a group of Thunder Peak disciples approached, led by a cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi Condensation. Luo Yang, by contrast, was only at the seventh stage.

Luo Yang merely glanced at the man but offered no response. From his eyes, it was evident he held a strong dislike for this rather overbearing individual.

However, seeing Luo Yang ignore him, two of the opposing disciples suddenly and deliberately blocked the path of Luo Yang and Su Yun.

“Brother, what’s wrong?” Su Yun whispered immediately. “Does he have a grudge against you?”

“This fellow joined Spirit Sword Mountain in the same intake as me,” Luo Yang replied softly. “I defeated him at the sect assembly back then. Later, I chose to focus on forging and joined Forging Peak, neglecting my cultivation. He’s just here to show off, but you don’t need to worry.”

Su Yun understood.

“Lin Bingkun, are you looking for trouble?” Luo Yang said, displeased. “I’m here today to bring my junior sister to the Sword Comprehension Pagoda. I don’t have time for you. Move aside.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Bingkun’s gaze once again fell upon Su Yun.

“Oh really?” Lin Bingkun sneered, a strange smile twisting his lips. “That’s quite unexpected. I never thought Elder Lei Yan would take another disciple, let alone a female direct disciple. How rare, truly rare. Can women even forge?”

“Junior sister, you’re as beautiful as a flower; why would you go to that grimy Forging Peak? Mingling with a bunch of grimy men all day will surely tarnish your reputation.”

Su Yun had no desire to engage with him, but Luo Yang’s patience snapped. He reached out and seized Lin Bingkun by his collar.

“Listen, Lin,” Luo Yang growled, his face contorted in irritation. “I’ll say this again: if you want revenge for the time I defeated you, we can arrange a spar at the Sword Discourse Stage. Don’t think for a second that reaching the ninth stage of Qi Condensation allows you to swagger around in front of me. Do you believe I can’t still beat you until you’re spitting teeth?”

Luo Yang, being a tall and burly man, easily over six feet, possessed a truly imposing presence.

“Hmph! Very well, we’ll see about that,” Lin Bingkun chuckled, easily prying Luo Yang’s hand away. He then walked off with a playful smirk.

Once the man had departed, Luo Yang finally let his angry expression fall, turning to Su Yun with an apologetic look.

“Junior sister, my apologies,” he said sheepishly. “I didn’t expect such bad luck today, running into that fellow.”

Su Yun shook her head. It wasn’t her first day in a cultivation sect; she understood the nature of cultivators well. Most were petty and vengeful, quick to seek retribution for the slightest slight.

For example, the Sixth Elder of Moonfall Sect. Su Muxue was truly innocent in that affair, but Han Heng dared not blame Sun Biyue, so he instead directed his frustrations at Su Muxue.

The two of them soon arrived before a counter, where a middle-aged man, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, lay reclined in a grand master’s chair.

“Greetings, Deacon Wu,” Luo Yang said, bowing respectfully to the middle-aged man. “My junior sister is visiting the Sword Comprehension Pagoda for the first time; please assign her a cultivation chamber.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately opened his eyes and cast a curious, peculiar gaze at Su Yun.

“Interesting,” the middle-aged man mused. “I never expected Elder Lei Yan to take a female disciple. Her aptitude must be quite exceptional, it seems. Here, this is the token to Chamber 235. Go on.” With that, he tossed a token to Luo Yang.

Luo Yang offered his thanks, then quickly led Su Yun away.