Xuan Su said, "From the very beginning, Aoxue Sect was established to conceal the secrets within this snow mountain."

"If the secrets of the snow mountain remain unsolved, Aoxue Sect will never leave the mountain."

"Have you ever wondered why the sect was built like a fortress, and why so many mechanisms were set up?"

"Everything we've done is to protect the secret burial beneath the sect, and to guard against a corpse demon hidden deep within the snow mountain!"

Corpse demon!

Xuan Yue couldn't help but gasp. "Are you talking about the woman from earlier?"

A corpse demon is a type of zombie, but it has surpassed the realm of zombies. Although zombies are terrifying, they cannot transform. Corpse demons, however, can change in myriad ways.

A true corpse demon can even brush past people without them realizing. Sorcerers, captivated by the corpse demon's stunning beauty, remain unaware that they are admiring a corpse.

Xuan Su nodded. "Yes! Corpse demons are soulless, but from their souls, something close to divinity is born! That woman from earlier should be the corpse demon's primordial spirit."

No wonder Aoxue Sect had to seal a corpse king within the sect.

The king of corpses; when they meet on a narrow road, they are bound to compete.

Aoxue Sect feared that the corpse demon would transform and infiltrate the sect, so they devised a plan to use the corpse king to monitor the corpse demon.

However, the corpse demon still managed to get in. Her primordial spirit entering the sect indicates that she has surpassed the realm of the corpse king.

Xuan Su said, "Aoxue Sect disciples can see the corpse demon because she once swore a blood oath to slaughter the entire sect. Therefore, only Aoxue Sect disciples can see her."

"The content of the sect's Heavenly Order is to suppress the secret burial and slay the corpse demon. Now, she has arrived!"

After the shock, Xuan Yue said, "Our Aoxue Sect has hundreds of disciples capable of fighting, and dozens of experts. Surely we are superior to a few Jianghu sorcerers?"

"Now that the corpse demon has arrived, we can lead the entire sect in a desperate battle. Are we, as cultivators, afraid of a mere monster?"

Xuan Yue's words truly hit the mark. If I were in his position, I would have made the same decision.

"No!" Xuan Su shook her head. "We are no match for the corpse demon! Before she formed her primordial spirit, we could still compete with her, but after she achieves her primordial spirit, she will become our sect's karmic tribulation!"

"This…" Xuan Yue's face also turned pale.

A karmic tribulation is a calamity arranged by the heavens for a person or a group.

Even for top-tier sects, karmic tribulations are unavoidable. After a tribulation, the best outcome is still a significant loss of vitality and a decline in talent.

Even at this point, Xuan Yue still refused to agree. "Our sect can't handle this tribulation, but sorcerers can?"

"Yes!" Xuan Su answered unexpectedly. "Sorcerers are better at dealing with tribulations. Moreover, the founder said when he passed down the Heavenly Order that when a karmic tribulation appears, seeking help from the path of sorcery is the only way to find a glimmer of hope."

"Now, Mr. Li has obtained the Heavenly Order, making him the one to help our sect through this tribulation."

Xuan Yue pointed at me and said, "He can't even see the corpse demon's primordial spirit. What kind of tribulation can he handle?"

"That's because the sect leader hasn't formally acknowledged Mr. Li yet! Once the sect leader acknowledges Mr. Li, his fate will be linked to the sect." When Xuan Su looked at me with burning eyes, my brow couldn't help but furrow slightly.

In the path of sorcery, acknowledging a teacher isn't as simple as offering a salute. Acknowledging a teacher is no different than acknowledging a "godfather."

If the leader of a sect acknowledges me as his teacher, wouldn't I become the supreme elder of Aoxue Sect?

"Nonsense!" Xuan Yue slammed the table and stood up. "Acknowledge a teacher? Wouldn't that be the same as handing over the sect? How can anyone believe or do such a thing?"

Xuan Su seemed to have lost her patience as well. "The sect has been fighting the corpse demon for hundreds of years. When have we ever won? The plum blossoms nine times, six are removed, and three remain. Do you think that's just a legend? Think about it yourself. Where did our six junior brothers and sisters go?"

Xuan Yue's face turned white, and he slumped back into his chair, unable to say another word!

Later, I learned what "The plum blossoms nine times, six are removed, and three remain" meant.

Aoxue Sect, which uses plum blossoms as its symbol, must do its best to cultivate nine top disciples in each generation. The six disciples with the highest cultivation and intellect will successively go to carry out a certain task.

If someone doesn't return, someone will naturally continue to fill that position until the sixth person hasn't returned. Then, the remaining three are not allowed to leave the sect anymore. They can only stay in Aoxue Sect to guard the mountain gate and cultivate the next generation of disciples.

Xuan Su sighed and said, "Our brothers and sisters disappeared while searching for the corpse demon's tracks! How does their cultivation compare to yours and mine?"

Xuan Yue finally said dejectedly, "Do we have no other choice?"

"Perhaps we do! But we don't have time to think anymore!" Xuan Su shook her head. "Since Mr. Li has arrived, he is destined to be the one to help us through this tribulation. We can only believe in him!"

Xuan Su bowed deeply to me. "Please, Mr. Li, lend a hand to help our sect overcome this difficulty!"

I said calmly, "I can help, but what can you give me in return? Think carefully before you speak!"

Xuan Yue slammed the table and stood up. "What else do you want?"

I turned my head and said, "Don't sorcerers charge for their services? How much of a relationship do we have?"

"You…" Xuan Yue wanted to retort but couldn't find a reason.