One day two years ago, their Master returned from a long journey. Ding Yushan and Bao Wuxin, along with their junior brothers and sisters, hurried to pay their respects.
At that time, they saw their Master in the main hall, recounting his travels to their Martial Mother. When their Master saw them enter, he nodded with a smile, inquiring about each person's cultivation progress and occasionally offering some guidance.
As the eldest disciple, Ding Yushan was already very familiar with his Master. He had always been a meticulous and decisive person. Although his Master seemed no different than usual, Ding Yushan keenly noticed a trace of worry in his eyes, while his Martial Mother appeared serene yet carried a hint of unease.
An hour later, their Master dismissed all the disciples, but asked Ding Yushan and Bao Wuxin to stay behind.
This action from Ding Yushan's Master did not cause any dissatisfaction among the other disciples. These two senior brothers had always been greatly favored by their Master, so the daily affairs of the sect, big and small, were often delegated to them.
Ding Yushan was mature and prudent, with a meticulous mind. Bao Wuxin was stern and taciturn, handling matters with vigor and speed.
This time, their Master had traveled alone. Their Martial Mother was only responsible for staying behind to manage the sect's overall situation, while all other matters were handled entirely by these two disciples.
Only when they encountered a major issue they could not decide on would they report to their Martial Mother. Now that their Master had returned, it was natural that he would want a detailed report on the sect's affairs during his absence.
But Ding Yushan felt something was different. Their Master had them stay behind for a reason that was far from simply inquiring about sect matters. Besides, there had been no major incidents in the sect recently that required reporting, a fact their Martial Mother was certainly aware of.
Sure enough, as soon as everyone else had left, Ding Yushan's Master waved his sleeve, setting up a sound-insulating barrier around the entire hall.
This caused the unprepared Bao Wuxin's face to reveal astonishment. In contrast, Ding Yushan's expression remained as calm as ever, which made his Master nod inwardly, quite appreciative of his eldest disciple's composed demeanor in the face of the unexpected.
Subsequently, their Master spoke of the news he had received from an old friend during his travels. This news was currently known only to the first-rate sects: the recent, unexplained disappearance of many sects throughout the cultivation world.
Although Ding Yushan and the others had heard whispers of this, it was just hearsay; the reasons behind it were completely unknown to them.
Even their Master had only his own speculations before. But with his long years of experience, he had smelled a hint of danger, which was why he had embarked on this journey.
His main purpose was to gather more information on the situation by visiting several friends with considerable standing in the cultivation world to get to the bottom of it.
Finally, Ding Yushan's Master had obtained some information from a friend who served as an elder in the first-rate sect, Lingtian Gate. After confirming that this news was more than likely true, he had rushed back.
"Yushan, Wuxin, I have asked you two to stay for a matter that I need you to handle. Your Martial Mother and I have just discussed it and have decided to send you both to the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda in a month's time."
"Yushan has been at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment for a long time and is on the verge of breaking through to the Great Perfection stage. If he can go to the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda for some training, he will surely make further progress in a short time."
"Wuxin, on the other hand, still lacks what it takes. It would be very difficult for him to achieve a breakthrough even by seeking it in life-and-death situations. But if he can enter the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, he might have his own great fortune. It's not impossible for him to break through to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and at the very least, the chances of obtaining some treasures are very high."
His words left both Ding Yushan and Bao Wuxin stunned. Bao Wuxin's expression then shifted from shock to ecstatic joy, but Ding Yushan's face became extremely grave.
Seeing their expressions, Ding Yushan's Master and Martial Mother exchanged a glance. They couldn't help but admire Ding Yushan's disposition even more; it was obvious that Ding Yushan had sensed the unusual undertones.
As for Bao Wuxin, his mind was typically focused solely on cultivation. His character was forthright, and while he was also exceptionally intelligent, he clearly lacked experience in worldly affairs. Thus, when handling matters in the sect, he was mostly in charge of enforcing punishments.
"Yushan, if you have anything to say, just speak your mind. Your Master will naturally clear up any doubts you have."
Ding Yushan's Martial Mother smiled gently as she spoke to Ding Yushan.
After carefully choosing his words, Ding Yushan slowly began, "Master, Martial Mother, your disciple dares to ask, has something major happened to the sect?"
His question stunned Bao Wuxin, who was standing to the side. He suddenly realized how abrupt this good news was and looked up at the two figures above with a puzzled expression.
Ding Yushan's Master gently stroked the long beard under his chin. "Yushan, why do you ask?"
In his heart, of course, he knew that this eldest disciple had long seen that something was amiss. But since the Wind and Snow Sect might one day be handed over to him, he naturally wanted to hear Ding Yushan's thoughts.
Hearing his Master's inquiry, Ding Yushan calmly spoke.
"Reporting to Master and Martial Mother, Second Junior Brother and I are both still in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Logically, this is not the best time to enter the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. The most suitable time would be after we have reached the Pseudo-Core Realm."
"Another point is that the cultivation resources in the region where our sect is located are not particularly abundant. Compared to the first-rate sects, the concentration of spiritual energy and the grade of spirit grasses and woods can at best be considered lower-middle."
"Normally, just maintaining the cultivation of all the disciples in the sect leaves little surplus. But the cost to enter the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda is extremely high, requiring a massive amount of Spirit Stones."
"Moreover, you are arranging for both me and Second Junior Brother to enter at the same time. I'm afraid that for the sect to bear this expense would be to cut into our very bones, and we would not be able to recover for several decades. Your disciple has been handling sect affairs for years and is aware of these matters."
"Therefore, your disciple dares to speculate that if something major had not occurred, how could the sect make a move that would shake its very foundations?"
Ding Yushan's words were delivered smoothly, with clear logic and agile thinking, causing his Master and Martial Mother to nod repeatedly, their fondness for this eldest disciple growing even stronger.
After hearing his Senior Brother's words, Bao Wuxin couldn't help but show a look of shame. He inwardly blamed himself for not considering the sect's interests at all, thinking only of his own gain.
As soon as Ding Yushan's voice fell, Bao Wuxin quickly knelt on the ground, his face flushed red. "Master, Martial Mother, your disciple has been extremely foolish. Please punish me, Master and Martial Mother!"
Seeing their two disciples being so sensible, the faces of Ding Yushan's Master and Martial Mother revealed gratified smiles. In this treacherous cultivation world, to have such disciples was a blessing. They felt reassured that they could entrust the Wind and Snow Sect to them in the future.
Ding Yushan's Master made a lifting gesture in the air, helping Bao Wuxin to his feet. "Hahaha, Wuxin, no need to blame yourself. You have a forthright nature and are wholly dedicated to your cultivation. Although you are not as meticulous as your Senior Brother, your actions are sincere and genuine."
At the same time, Ding Yushan gently patted Bao Wuxin on the shoulder. He naturally knew his Second Junior Brother's character; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep up so closely with him in cultivation.
But what their Master said next made both of their hearts tighten and a chill run down their spines.
"Yushan's guess is correct. My trip this time was a spur-of-the-moment decision, precisely to inquire about the complete disappearance of many sects in the cultivation world during this period."
"For an entire sect to disappear at once, leaving behind few traces, is in itself an extremely horrifying matter. What you know of is only one or two sects, but in reality, the number is far greater—so many, in fact, that even I am not sure of the exact figure."
The moment Ding Yushan's Master spoke again, the two were startled. They never expected their Master to bring up this strange affair, but they didn't dare interrupt his narrative and listened quietly.
Sighing, their Master continued, "Ai, if I don't get to the bottom of this, I can't rest or eat in peace. Who knows, one day disaster might befall us, and we would be completely unprepared."
"So this time, I visited several friends and finally managed to glean some information from a friend in a first-rate sect. It seems all of this may be related to those Demonic Creatures."
"You have probably read in the ancient records about the invasion of our Desolate Moon Continent by Demonic Creatures from another dimension tens of thousands of years ago. That great war came to a temporary end when the main fissure connecting the two realms was sealed by several Spirit Transformation Ancestors."
"However, the war did not end there. A large number of Demonic Creatures remained on the Desolate Moon Continent. So, in the following years, human cultivators and high-level Demonic Beasts joined forces to continuously hunt down the remaining demonic forces."
"This large-scale slaughter continued until ten thousand years ago, which is when we basically wiped out the remnants of the Demonic Creatures."
"But it was only a basic cleanup. Those Demonic Creatures are too powerful in combat, and their life force is unimaginably tenacious. Even if a single trace of demonic will remains, they can potentially be reborn through Body Seizure."
"So we have no way of knowing exactly how many cultivators have been possessed. After all, once they borrow a human body, they are indistinguishable from us in daily life, unless they demonize and reveal their true forms."
"And the sealed fissure between the two realms that you know of, called the 'Devil's Cliff Crevice,' has actually been a constant warzone—a war between humans and Demonic Creatures for control of the passage."
"Our human side, led by the Four Great Sects and the Demonic Beasts, dispatches experts at the Golden Core level and above to patrol and guard it in shifts. Meanwhile, the Demonic Creatures on the other side are constantly bombarding the seal to break through this largest fissure, causing the seal to loosen."
"Some lower-level Demon Lords are already able to cross the Devil's Cliff Crevice, and casualties on both sides are often heavy."
"Fortunately, the Four Great Sects have been able to handle it. They have been summoning Golden Core masters from the first-rate sects and their own to patrol and guard for ten thousand years, giving smaller sects like ours some breathing room."
At this point, Ding Yushan's Master paused, as if recalling something, before continuing a moment later.
"In fact, many of our small sects were once prominent, first-rate overlords tens of thousands of years ago. It was only after the war with the Demonic Creatures, in which nearly all the masters in the sects perished and many treasures and cultivation methods were lost, that we fell to our current state."
"Therefore, the Four Great Sects couldn't be too ruthless. Later, when they were able, they issued an order that only first-rate sects would dispatch Golden Core experts and above to fight and stand guard at the Devil's Cliff Crevice, alongside the Four Great Sects, with each tour of duty lasting a hundred years. Life and death were left to fate."
Saying this, Ding Yushan's Master gave a bitter smile. If not for the care shown by the Four Great Sects, he and his wife would likely have met a grim fate long ago, perhaps having already perished in the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
These words caused the expressions of the two disciples, Ding Yushan and his junior brother, to change continuously. These were secrets they were not supposed to have access to.
Originally, their Master had intended to tell them these things after they formed their Golden Cores. But now, events had changed beyond his plans, and he had no choice but to reveal them ahead of time.