Chapter 256: Doubt of an Old Elder

"Indeed, I think Elder Song is looking forward to it and won't be able to stay still in here for much longer..."

Glancing over at the excited Elder Song, Xuan Hao had to agree with what Wang Hu said.

"Well, it was only a short encounter, but it looks like me and Elder Song will be taking out leave first."

"Haha, no need to worry about it! Just go on your way, if Elder Song can really reach the Nascent Soul Realm, I will be more than happy!"

Before Elder Song managed to recover from the shock of finding out that he might be able to reach the Nascent Soul Realm, Xuan Hao had already dragged him out of Wang Hu's pavilion and was making his way down the mountain it was located on.

"So... Elder Song, where would you like to go to attempt your breakthrough...?"

It was only when he heard Xuan Hao say this to him, that he slowly woke up and realized that he wasn't dreaming!

He truly had a chance to reach the Nascent Soul Realm! And he was about to attempt a breakthrough!?

"M-my courtyard-"

Things were moving a bit too fast for Elder Song, and he barely managed to answer Xuan Hao's question as the scenery in front of him suddenly blurred before he found himself directly in front of the place, he called home.

The courtyard was far from being comparable to the magnificent pavilions that Xuan Hao or Wang Hu lived in, but it was still large and had everything that one could wish for when living a peaceful life.

To be honest, Xuan Hao felt a bit jealous when he saw the peaceful and serene courtyard of Elder Song in front of him. This was what Xuan Hao would consider an ideal home!

"Where do you normally cultivate...?"

Remembering to get a peaceful courtyard like the one Elder Song had in the future, Xuan Hao returned back to the thing that he had come for in the first place. Helping Elder Song breakthrough and reach the Nascent Soul Realm!

"Hm... I normally just cultivate in my personal quarters... Would that be fine...?"

"Yeah, that should be fine."

Thinking about it for a moment before answering, Xuan Hao Nodded his head in agreement as both of them made their way inside of the courtyard.

Hopefully, Elder Song would be able to breakthrough and reach the Nascent Soul Realm with the help of the purification pill...

...

"The person sent over by the Azure Sky Kingdom will be showing up soon!"

At the same time that Xuan Hao was going about helping Elder Song ensure a safe breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm, the elders of the Raging Flame Sect were getting prepared to meet someone from the Azure Sky Kingdom before letting their people walk through their sect into the territory of the Heavenly Sky Kingdom.

"Are we really going to do this...? The Sect Master is not even here to authorize something like this! I think we should wait for the Sect Master to return before agreeing to anything!"

One of the elders looking like he already had one step into the grave stepped forward and said this as the surrounding elders of the Raging Flame Sect began talking with each other.

No matter what, the Raging Flame Sect was about to betray the Heavenly Sky Kingdom and allow a foreign enemy to walk through their territory to attack them.

The Heavenly Sky Kingdom would definitely retaliate in the future when they got the chance to do so... At that time, the Raging Flame Sect would not be having a good time...

"Heh... That is only if there is any Heavenly Sky Kingdom left in the future! And even if they manage to survive the attack, the Azure Sky Kingdom agreed to allow us to join under them! At that time, we would be able to get the territory we lost back!"

"Not only that! Don't forget that the Azure Sky Kingdom promised us that they would help us with destroying the Flying Sword Sect after they finished off their war with the Heavenly Sky Kingdom!"

Not able to say anything as the two people who stood up to fight against his claim to think things through before joining the Azure Sky Kingdom.

The two people in question were the Vice Sect Master who was only second to the Sect Master in terms of strength and another elder who had been his rival since his younger days in the Raging Flame Sect...

"Fine... But I still think we should take some more time before agreeing to let the Azure Sky Kingdom walk through our sect and make an enemy of the Heavenly Sky Kingdom!"

Not wanting to stay together with the other elders as he felt himself being ostracized after giving his opinion on the subject.

"About-"

"The person send over by the Azure Sky Kingdom has arrived!"

Just as the elder that had been at odds with the disagreeable was about to say something to cause him trouble, a young elder ran over from the entrance of the room that the elder had just left through and informed everyone present inside the room.

"Then what are you waiting for!? Show the representative over here immediately!"

Yelling at the young elder that had come in to inform them, the elder who was just interrupted let out his anger at the young elder as the person in question shivered under the terrifying pressure suddenly bearing down on him.

"Y-yes!"

Not able to say much more under the terrifying pressure of a Nascent Soul Realm Expert, the young elder quickly turned around and ran out of the room to get the representative of the Azure Sky Kingdom.

"Looks like someone lost their temper... Don't take that guy's earlier words to mind, he won't be able to affect the decision by himself!"

Poking a bit fun at the elder, the Vice Sect Master reassured him of this before turning to look at the surrounding elders chatting among themselves.

Following this, the Vice Sect Master quickly took charge of the entire room as everyone calmed down and patiently waited for the young elder to return with the representative sent over by the Azure Sky Kingdom.

All the Nascent Soul Realm elders except the Sect Master and the one who left earlier were present in the room as they all waited for the person sent over by the Azure Sky Kingdom.

"I really wonder if this is the right decision..."

Quickly extinguishing this thought the moment it appeared, the elder thought about his hateful rival.

To think he almost began to think the same way that guy did! The Raging Flame Sect would be able to gain a lot from this and would even destroy the Flying Sword Sect and increase their territory in the future!

There was no way something like that could go wrong!

...

Leaving the room filled with the higher ups of the Raging Flame Set, the elder that had gone against the rest of the elders in regard to joining the Azure Sky Kingdom in their war against the Heavenly Sky Kingdom, walked through the Raging Flame Sect with nor clear purpose.

"What should I do... Should I just leave the Raging Flame Sect...?"

The elder had no idea what to do at the moment and soon ended up at a small public garden located in the outer part of the Raging Flame Sect where the outer disciples would normally go to relax from time to time.

"Hah..."

Sitting down on a bench as he thought about what to do, a sighing sound could be heard just beside him on the bench as he discovered another person was already sitting on the bench beside him.

Similar to him, the person looked to be an elderly man that was equally lost like himself.

"Why are you here for friend?"

Feeling an unknown sense of connection to the stranger beside him, the elder could not hold himself back as he asked the equally depressed looking old man.

"Hm? Ah, I'm just here to deliver a message... But I don't think I will be able to meet my family again afterwards..."

"I see... I don't think I will last much longer either... Everyone around me seems to have a different view than me and I think they just about had enough by now..."

Saying this, both old men soon found themselves talking with each other as both of them found out that they were in an equally bad situation.

"... Do you perhaps want to leave the Raging Flame Sect?"

"..."

Continuing their conversation, the old man sitting beside the elder suddenly came upon this question as the elderly man looked up at him curiously waiting for an answer. No ill intent hidden in his expression as he said something that could have easily gotten him killed if any other elder of the Raging Flame Sect heard it.

"... I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind recently... Why do you ask?"

Not outright refusing the words of the old man, the elder put on a serious look as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man cautiously.

"Haha, no need to be so nervous, I'm not someone from the Raging Flame Sect, so you don't have to act like that! Here, take this!"

Laughing the moment he saw the cautious expression on the elder's face, the old man directly threw over a small token engraved with a small snowflake on it.

"What is this for...?"

Catching the token that the old man threw over to him, the elder had a confused expression on his face. Not knowing what he should do with the token he had just been given.

"If you leave the Raging Flame Sect in the future, you can go to the Ascendant Frost Hall located at the far north of the Azure Sky Kingdom's territory to lay low for some time. I just hope that you would be willing to deliver a letter of mine at the same time to the Sect Master of the Ascendant Frost Hall..."

Listening to what the old man said, the elder of the Raging Flame Sect suddenly realized that he did not do anything to stop the old man and was instead listening attentively to what he said.

Had he already decided to leave the Raging Flame Sect deep down...?

"Fine... I will help you deliver the letter... But are you sure they will be able to keep me safe from the Raging Flame Sect? You should know that most sects don't take well to people suddenly leaving them... Especially if they are higher ups and know a lot of the sect's techniques and mantras..."

Sharing his doubts with the old man, the elder only saw him smile at him before taking out a letter and handing it over to him.

"You don't need to worry about that, you will be safe as long as you reach the Ascendant Frost Hall!"

Saying this, the old man stood up and walked away from the bench. Leaving behind the elder as he tightened his grasp on the letter that had been handed over to him.

Even though he had no idea who the old man was, the elder felt like he could trust him.

Like this, one of the Raging Flame Sect's Nascent Soul Realm Elders quietly left the sect. Never to return again!