Chapter 1799: The Watchers
"Rong Fan seems to be quite smart. To think he didn't return to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate. However, it's still a mystery whether he has learned about the incident," Duan Ling Tian remarked as his eyes gleamed.
He had met Rong Fan before. It was none other than that hunchback young man standing behind the Young Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion, Xu Jing, in Nimble Valley. He was an inconspicuous person.
The only reason Duan Ling Tian remembered him was due to the hump on his back. However, he did not remember his appearance at all.
"He must not have known everything. Otherwise, the news would've spread before we even returned," Gu Li said, "Currently, Zhao Deng and his father had brought some men with them to guard the Rising Sky Mansion's estate. Whoever enters the Rising Sky Mansion's estate can only enter but not leave. For this reason, we don't have to worry about the news of the Rising Sky Mansion's high-ranking officials and elite disciples being annihilated being spread out for the time being."
"If this news spread out, the Rising Sky Mansion would also have its name removed from the fourth-rate forces. However, the truth will eventually come out. How does Lord Mansion Master plan to deal with this in the future?" Duan Ling Tian asked curiously.
"According to Lord Mansion Master, Zhao Deng and his father will stay at the Rising Sky Mansion's estate for the time being. Eventually, he'll send someone to switch places with them. This will go on until the soul of the Young Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion recovers and can withstand the Soul Searching Secret Tactic," Gu Li replied, "If the Devil Dao Cultivation Method that Xu Jing cultivates is an evil Devil Dao Cultivation Method, then he'll call off our men immediately. In that case, even if the news spread out, outsiders will only say we're acting on behalf of Heaven and enforcing justice! However, if the Devil Dao Cultivation Method is the normal type, he'll send someone to guard the Rising Sky Mansion's estate and Hump Town until we finally catch Rong Fan!"
When Duan Ling Tian heard Gu Li's words, he did not think highly of Mansion Master Meng Qing's way of dealing with this matter, but he could understand his decision.
Even if the Devil Dao Cultivation Method was an ordinary one, something would happen eventually even if the Mystical Sky Mansion constantly sent out people to guard the Rising Sky Mansion's estate.
The truth would eventually come out anyway!
It was still not a problem if the Mystical Sky Mansion locked an ordinary person up, but the problem was, the Rising Sky Mansion was a fourth-rate force and was also under the jurisdiction of a quasi third-rate force. Eventually, someone from that quasi third-rate force would go to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate.
Once someone from that quasi third-rate force was killed or locked up, the entire sect would be alerted. At that time, the Mystical Sky Mansion might not be able to hide the news of the Rising Sky Mansion's backbone and almost the entire sect had been killed.
Naturally, even if the quasi third-rate force did not discover or do anything, Duan Ling Tian felt the truth could not be hidden for long.
After all, an ordinary person would become careless when they had to constantly guard and monitor a place. Nobody would be able to guarantee they would not make a mistake.
Although Duan Ling Tian did not think highly of Mansion Master Meng Qing's method, he did not say anything at all. After all that was said and done, this matter was unrelated to him.
He was not interested in that Devil Dao Cultivation Method whether it was a normal type or an inhumane type. After all, he had never once considered cultivating the Devil Dao Cultivation Method and switched to become a Devil Cultivator.
'After I have the Sun True Origin in my body, I haven't used the Devilseal Tablet. With the strength of my Sun True Origin that's currently equivalent to an Early Eminent Saint Stage powerhouse's True Origin, I should be able to kill all Devil Cultivators below the Divine Saint Stage if I use the Devilseal Tablet!' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself excitedly.
In fact, even in the Mystical Sky Mansion, there were very few people who were at the Divine Saint Stage or higher.
At the very least, from the information he had obtained, there were only three people in the Mystical Sky Mansion who had entered the Divine Saint Stage. They were Mansion Master Meng Qing and the two Mystical Sky Mansion's Guardians, Gu Ci Yun and Zhao Jin.
"Senior Brother Gu Li, you're the son of Guardian Gu so you must know his cultivation base, right? I heard that Guardian Gu is a Divine Saint Stage powerhouse." When Duan Ling Tian saw Gu Li from the corner of his eye, he suddenly remembered Gu Li was Guardian Gu's son. He must know about Guardian Gu's cultivation base.
"Yes," Gu Li answered bluntly with no intention to hide anything when faced with Duan Ling Tian's question, "My father's cultivation base has long broken through to the Early Divine Saint Stage just like Zhao Jin."
"Zhao Jin's also at the Early Divine Saint Stage?" Duan Ling Tian was surprised.
"Yes." Gu Li nodded. "According to my father, there are only four people who're at the Divine Saint Stage. Lord Mansion Master is the most powerful while my father and old man Ji are the weakest."
"Four Divine Saint Stage powerhouses? The two great Guardians are the weakest ones?" Duan Ling Tian's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Then, other than the Mansion Master, the other one is..."
"Take a guess." Gu Li smiled.
When Duan Ling Tian saw the mischievous smile in his eyes, a figure appeared in his mind. "Don't tell me it's the guardian of the Heaven Palace's Spirit Pool? Senior Brother Gu Li, is that person your Grand Master?"
"That's right!" Gu Li nodded before he sighed. "Grand Master is just too unlucky. That time, after he was severely injured, it caused his cultivation base to stagnate. Otherwise, with his former innate talent, he would've already reached the Quintessential Saint Stage! Grand Master was supposed to travel and cultivate at the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land, but due to his injury, he has no choice but to remain in the Lower Province."
"Isn't the Upper Province a place where only someone at the Divine Saint Stage or higher can go? With Senior's strength, he can still go to the Upper Province if he wants to, right?" Duan Ling Tian asked curiously.
"Yes." Gu Li nodded his head before smiling wryly. "Even so, as the Martial Dao genius of his generation, Grand Master is unwilling to see those brothers with the same master surpass him one by one. It's because of his pride that he remains in the Lower Province and willingly guards the Spirit Pool."
Duan Ling Tian finally understood the situation.
"Senior Brother Gu Li, is there any Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse in the Lower Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land?" Duan Ling Tian asked a question that had always been on his mind.
"Yes," Gu Li answered affirmatively.
"Yes? However, as far as I know, there seems to be no one at the Quintessential Saint Stage in the quasi third-rate forces of the Dao Martial Saint Land, right? By right, although an Exemplary Saint Stage powerhouse doesn't have eternal life yet, it won't be a problem for him to live up to one or two thousand years old, right? If they can live that long, there must be someone who has broken through to the Quintessential Saint Stage, right?" Duan Ling Tian was even more baffled.
"There are indeed some Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouses, but they're not in any quasi third-rate forces," Gu Li continued to say, "Other than those reclusive powerhouses who don't reveal themselves, the only Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouses in the Lower Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land are the Watchers who watch over the link between the Upper Province and Lower Province."
"Watchers?" Duan Ling Tian frowned. "Who are they?"
"The Watchers are the Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouses who come from first-rate forces from the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land. Their duty is to monitor the Lower Province. Once a Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse appears in the Lower Province, he must immediately leave the Lower Province and go to the Upper Province. If he dares to cause a commotion in the Lower Province, the Watchers will decide the punishment for that Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse based on the severity of crime," Gu Li explained thoroughly, "There was once a powerhouse who had broken through to the Quintessential Saint Stage from the peak of the Exemplary Saint Stage. He tried to unify the Lower Province with his strength. Guess what happened to him in the end?"
"What happened?" Duan Ling Tian asked.
If a Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse wanted to, he could indeed unify the Lower Province.
"He died! He was killed by the Watchers!" Gu Li replied.
"What?!" Upon hearing Gu Li's words, Duan Ling Tian was taken aback. The Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse was killed by the Watchers?
"According to the rules set by the first-rate forces in the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land, once a Quintessential Saint Stage Martial or Dao Cultivator appears in the Lower Province, he must immediately leave the Lower Province to prevent him from messing up the balance of power in the Lower Province. Naturally, a Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouse can choose to remain in the Lower Province, but he's not allowed to make any move at all. Once he makes his move, the Watchers will instantly kill him! It's precisely because of this that almost all powerhouses in the Lower Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land who have broken through to the Quintessential Saint Stage choose to leave. Although the Lower Province is good, it's no use being so powerful if there's nothing one can do! Only the Upper Province can be their stage," Gu Li told Duan Ling Tian in one breath, informing him of things he was unaware of.
All of these were not recorded in the books that he had read before.
"The first-rate forces in the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land are really controlling!" Duan Ling Tian mused.
"Rumor has it that it's the three great colossuses, the three great sects, from the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land that passed down this order... The first-rate forces in the Upper Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land are only acting according to the order that has been given to them," Gu Li added again.
The three great sects!
Upon hearing his words, Duan Ling Tian's eyes narrowed immediately.
The Fire Worship Sect was one of the three great sects.
His fiancée was taken away by somebody from the Fire Worship Sect.
He quickly suppressed his chaotic emotion before he finally regained his composure.
"No wonder there are no Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouses in the quasi third-rate forces in the Lower Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land. As it turns out, there are Watchers watching over the place to prevent Quintessential Saint Stage powerhouses from wreaking havoc in the Lower Province." Duan Ling Tian finally understood.
"Currently, the most powerful people in the Lower Province of the Dao Martial Saint Land must be the Leader of the Mountainshade Black Market and the Mansion Master of the Azure Cloud Mansion, right?" Duan Ling Tian asked again.
"Yes." Gu Li nodded. "According to my father, the Leader of the Mountainshade Black Market and the Mansion Master of Azure Cloud Mansion both stand at the peak of the Exemplary Saint Stage. Most importantly, both of them are Devil Cultivators, and their abilities are stronger than ordinary Martial and Dao Cultivators."
"Does this mean they can't make any moves after they've broken through to the Quintessential Saint Stage? At that time, the Mountainshade Black Market and the Azure Cloud Mansion wouldn't be able to peacefully co-exist, would they?" Duan Ling Tian asked again.
"It's not so easy to break through to the Quintessential Saint Stage." Gu Li shook his head. "Compared to the other powerhouses at the peak of the Exemplary Saint Stage, both of them are too young. There's still a long way for them to go at the peak of the Exemplary Saint Stage. For this reason, they have more than enough time to nurture a worthy successor before they leave."