A sect is a sect, and a clan is a clan; as a rule the two keep to their own wells and do not foul each other's water. It is rare for them to become entangled the way the Northern Island Cangwu Sect has, each woven into the other's fabric—for such a thing inevitably breeds factions. Take the present state of the Northern Island Cangwu Sect: a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator sits in the vice sect master's seat, and can even turn the entire council of elders into a sounding board for his own voice. Told to outsiders, it would be nothing but a joke.

"Indeed. One is the Chen clan faction—its members are either direct or collateral blood of the Northern Island Chen, or else tied to them by a thousand threads. Their numbers are not many, but they are exceedingly close-knit and formidable in strength. Their figureheads are two: the Grand Elder, and the vice sect master, Chen Dongcheng," Xin Yi'an explained.

Even the most formidable Nascent Soul old monster of all was the Chen clan's former patriarch, so this Chen faction was naturally powerful to a crushing degree. Wei Zhao was not surprised in the least, and pressed on: "And the other faction?"

"The other is the native faction. Normally, any disciple with no particular connection to the Northern Island Chen is counted among the natives. They make up the vast majority, but their ties are exceedingly loose—so things are fine in ordinary times, yet the moment trouble strikes they scatter like a heap of sand. Their figurehead is Sect Master Hong Zijun." Xin Yi'an smiled bitterly.

"No wonder." Enlightenment dawned on Wei Zhao. The native faction had been a heap of loose sand to begin with, and now even their figurehead Hong Zijun had run into trouble—so the present state of affairs was hardly surprising.

"Martial Granduncle, Vice Sect Master Chen comes with a fierce momentum. You must guard against him," Xin Yi'an said cautiously.

"Oh? And how should I guard?" Wei Zhao looked at him.

"Vice Sect Master Chen has the entire Chen faction at his back. Should he ever move against you, Martial Granduncle—you being newly arrived—there would be no guarding against it." Xin Yi'an glanced at Wei Zhao's expression and, plucking up his courage, went on: "You gave us the original Azure Cloud Serenity Mantra, so by rights that alone should place your standing beyond reproach. But after all, you have been away from the Northern Island Cangwu Sect too long—most of the sect feels only curiosity toward you, not much true acceptance. Should Vice Sect Master Chen truly make his move, you would be left in a most passive position."

"Go on," Wei Zhao said mildly.

Xin Yi'an swallowed nervously. He was not skilled at the business of stirring hearts and minds, but driven to this pass, he had no choice but to force himself to it. "Yes. If you wish to truly take root and stand firm within the sect, Martial Granduncle, you need a band of loyal followers. And now Sect Master Hong's whereabouts are unknown; the native faction is without a head. It is precisely the moment for you to step forward and raise the banner. Otherwise, at this rate, the Northern Island Cangwu Sect may well become the Northern Island Chen Sect."

"You want me to replace Sect Master Hong?" Wei Zhao looked at Xin Yi'an with an odd expression.

"No, no, no—that is not what this disciple means." Xin Yi'an denied it hastily. Hong Zijun had barely run into trouble, and here he was, the man's underling, urging another to supplant him; if he truly did so, he would become an out-and-out turncoat. He rushed to explain: "What this disciple means is that the native faction was already inclined toward you under Sect Master Hong's leadership. So if you were to step forward now and take up the standard, it is entirely possible. As for Sect Master Hong—this disciple will spare no effort in searching for his whereabouts. If he can be found, nothing could be better. If he cannot..."

Xin Yi'an did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was already plain.

The corner of Wei Zhao's mouth curved. Xin Yi'an's meaning put him in mind of the words Liu Bei spoke to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City, when he entrusted his orphan son: If my heir proves worth supporting, support him; if he lacks the talent, then you may take his place yourself.

As for scheming and wrangling with men within the Northern Island Cangwu Sect—at Wei Zhao's level, such things were naturally beneath his notice. Still, petty villains making mischief, judging by the look of it, would surely see to it that he and Qiu Lingshan and the rest could not live in peace. Well, then, he might as well ride the current and push the boat along.

"I never would have guessed you had such nerve," Wei Zhao said with a smile. From their earlier dealings he had taken Xin Yi'an for a cautious, self-preserving sort of good fellow; he had not expected him to be so decisive now. Knowing full well that Chen Dongcheng meant to move against him, the man had still dared to come running to inform on him—and when one considered that Chen Dongcheng had the Grand Elder behind him, most others in Xin Yi'an's position would not have had the nerve at all.

"Martial Granduncle flatters me," Xin Yi'an said, his smile taking on a touch of guileless simplicity as he peered nervously at Wei Zhao's expression. "So what is Martial Granduncle's meaning?"

"To be honest, your suggestion is not bad at all," Wei Zhao admitted frankly, then spread his hands. "But I am trapped here and cannot get out—so what use is it?"

"That..." Xin Yi'an was struck dumb on the spot. He had been wholly focused on persuading Wei Zhao, and had clean forgotten this point: from the very first step they took inside, Wei Zhao and the others had been imprisoned...

"By the way, speaking of which—how much do you know about this formation? Tell me what you know," Wei Zhao said suddenly. If he could figure out the principle and characteristics of this formation, then even without a status token, with his endless parade of tricks he might well be able to force a breakthrough—leaving and entering as he pleased. Chen Dongcheng would then find it far less easy to use this place to hold him in check.

"Replying to Martial Granduncle: though this disciple is nominally an elder, neither his position nor his level is sufficient to glimpse the core mysteries of the sect's important formations," Xin Yi'an said with a bitter smile.

"Is that so..." Wei Zhao was somewhat disappointed.

"However, the Ascending-in-a-Single-Step Formation is the most famous formation of this sect. From the very first day this disciple entered the sect, all manner of talk about it has been ringing in his ears. So while this disciple dare not claim to know its core mysteries, he does know a thing or two about it," Xin Yi'an said, changing tack.

"Then why are you keeping me in suspense?" Wei Zhao shot him a look.

"Heh heh..." Xin Yi'an's laugh was a touch awkward. In keeping with his cautious, careful nature, unless the evidence was conclusive he never casually passed on hearsay. This time, merely because he did not want Wei Zhao to think him utterly useless, he had steeled himself to repeat a few unverified rumors.

"The Ascending-in-a-Single-Step Formation—there are basically two accounts of how this formation got its name. One says that several thousand years ago this sect had an ordinary disciple of no particular note who once committed a fault and was punished with confinement. In those days this place was still nothing but an ordinary rear cliff. But who would have thought that a mere three years later, that disciple suddenly burst upon the world, ascending to heaven in a single step and becoming a supreme being invincible under the sky, and by the strength of one man alone forced this sect into becoming, beyond all question, the foremost sect of the ancient age. That was the sect's most glorious era, and afterward this rear cliff was renamed the Ascending Heaven Cliff," Xin Yi'an said.