Chapter 103: A Hot Potato

A sacred weapon like the Cause-Cutting Sword could never simply be discarded. After all, it was on the same level as the Pure Yang Bell and the Freedom Celestial Scripture—how could it be treated carelessly? When Wang Li had told Ling Xiao to throw away the Cause-Cutting Sword, it had been mostly to comfort him.

Ultimately, the fate of this sacred weapon had to be entrusted to the experts.

Upon hearing this, the assembled masters exchanged glances.

Master Flowing Light looked toward Master Heavenly Eye and said, “I’ve said before, sacred weapons aren’t something to be taken lightly. You all have just recently entered the Earth Immortal realm after ten thousand years, so you might not fully understand the situation. It’s best to let the Five Elements Pavilion’s leader speak—she lived through the previous great era herself!”

“Flowing Light, you speak then. I’m getting old; my memory isn’t what it used to be!” Master Heavenly Eye’s face fell long, as if wishing he could shut Flowing Light’s mouth.

Don’t you know women dislike being called old? Expecting me to recount events from ten thousand years ago—dream on!

Ling Xiao and the others rolled their eyes.

That Flowing Light fellow really is... clueless.

“Since Master Heavenly Eye is unwilling, I’ll take over,” Flowing Light said cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the other’s displeasure. “Actually, I’m just repeating what my master told me, so if anything is missing, it doesn’t matter.”

“Pah! Flowing Light, you speak so irresponsibly!” the Fiery Sun Daoist sneered. “Just talk about the Cause-Cutting Sword and leave the rest alone. With your mouth, you might accidentally summon some elder we don’t want to deal with. We have no intention of following you into trouble!”

Ling Xiao also said, “You speak as if no one here has elders. We know some about the old affairs of ten thousand years ago. Just get to the point.”

“I’m waiting to return to the East Sea. The water clan is stirring up trouble again. I have no time to waste with your chatter,” Qiu Wanli said sternly, his expression grave.

“This sect was wiped out—over a thousand of them—the cultivation world plunged into chaos,” he continued.

“Such turmoil gave rise to a whirlwind of events: countless prodigies emerged, new sects and families were founded, the seven great dynasties fell, and over seventy small kingdoms rose. This... is the consequence of a super sect producing a child of the era.”

The gathered masters finally understood why the Five Elements Pavilion was the weakest among the eight great orthodox sects.

It was because they had lost six top True Immortal-level experts at once, leaving a gap in their high-end combat power.

No wonder, no wonder...

But a question remained in their minds: if the Five Elements Pavilion, despite such heavy losses, still ranked among the eight great sects, how powerful had they been before? This was something to ask the elders of their sect upon returning.

“Nonsense!” Master Heavenly Eye snapped angrily. “Your master was the child of the era from twenty thousand years ago. Why didn’t that cause such dire consequences?”

“That’s because my master wasn’t deceived!” Flowing Light shouted. “Do you know how the Pure Yang Bell was damaged? It’s because my master sacrificed most of his primordial essence and the Pure Yang Bell’s to break free from the World Will’s control!”

“Our Pure Yang Sect doesn’t refuse to compete for sacred weapons because we can’t afford them. This sacred weapon differs from the Pure Yang Bell and the Freedom Celestial Scripture—it... it can corrupt one’s heart and incite murderous intent!” Wang Li interjected.

“The sect leader’s words are absolutely right. I suggested Ling Xiao discard the Cause-Cutting Sword because I feared it would bring great karmic consequences to the Pure Yang Sect.”

“Although the Cause-Cutting Sword can sever cause and effect, it only cuts the karma between those who die by its blade and its wielder. It cannot sever the karma between the myriad cultivators and the Pure Yang Sect!”

“When such karma accumulates to a certain degree, chaos will inevitably erupt in the Pure Yang Sect. The lesson of the Five Elements Pavilion is a cautionary tale.”

“Is that so...”

“Ah... terrifying indeed,” the masters who were less familiar with the situation all gasped.

So, this sacred weapon, rather than being a blessing, had become a hot potato?

The reversal was almost too shocking to believe...

Yet the sacred weapon had already surfaced and had fallen into the hands of a disciple from the Pure Yang Sect. Although it had little to do with the other major sects, it would inevitably affect them as well.

It was truly like a toad settling on a flat surface—if it doesn’t bite, it disgusts.

They all knew Wang Li’s suggestion to discard the Cause-Cutting Sword was a joke; this sacred weapon had to be handled with extreme caution.

Everyone looked at one another, falling into a heavy silence. The atmosphere grew cold.

This hot potato was genuinely scorching—whoever held it would face a great headache.

Flowing Light appeared calm but was already deep in conversation with Wang Li.

“Friend, do you have a reliable solution for this?”

“Not for now. I just feel the Cause-Cutting Sword shouldn’t stay with the Pure Yang Sect for the time being.”

“Could you do me a favor?”

“To take Ling Xiao far away from the Pure Yang Sect?”

“Hehe, you joke. I mean, to send the Cause-Cutting Sword to someone else.”

Wang Li’s heart skipped a beat. “Who does the sect leader intend to give it to?”

Flowing Light narrowed his eyes. “There are always those who don’t know any better...”