Chapter 216: Enemy of the Dao: Harry Potter Fanatic

"Sect Master! Master! Revered Teacher! Grandma!"

"Get out of my sight!"

"I'm your disciple!"

"From today on, you are expelled from the Azure Cloud Sect!"

"If that’s the case, don't do it—at least adopt Harry Potter's lineage into the sect before kicking me out!"

The Azure Cloud Sect was a legitimate cultivation sect.

Although Shion, as Sect Master, was fairly broad-minded about what her disciples practiced and generally didn’t interfere, Bai Mei cultivated the sword, Qinghua practiced puppetry, and Four Leaf and Six Leaf worked formations.

Their paths differed, but since the Great Dao allowed a hundred flowers to bloom and many roads to lead to the same goal, Shion naturally did not object.

Only Qianzhencao was an exception.

She had invented an outer-door lineage. While the Azure Cloud ancestors practiced a variety of arts, she refused to learn them and instead copied Harry Potter, well, in her own way.

If that had been all, Shion would not have minded.

After all, the Azure Cloud Sect was open-minded.

Shion was no reactionary; if something was unorthodox, so be it—just practice honestly and don’t interfere with the sect’s internal development.

But this would not do.

Qianzhencao was a fanatic of Harry Potter. What did “fanatic” mean?

It meant someone with an intense urge to spread and sacrifice for their idol, a fan who behaved like a virus. That was a true fanatic.

In essence, she was a believer.

Generally, this type of fan split into two kinds.

The first kind was the easiest to deal with and also the most disagreeable—highly aggressive and exclusive, claiming their work was the greatest while denouncing everything else as trash. They were the loud, dogmatic devotees.

Shion despised this sort of free online brigade. Being led around by capital annoyed her. She had merely stated a blunt truth long ago: Harry Potter still lagged behind web novels in many ways.

She suggested the author should read more web novels, study how real novels are written, improve, or at least copy works like Dragon Clan, only then could truly great works emerge—rather than trash that needed capital to push it to temporary popularity.

That remark drew attacks from Harry Potter fanatics.

Was she wrong?

She had uttered a plain truth, yet they couldn't stand it and responded by insulting web novels, claiming most web novels were rubbish, and that Harry Potter—no matter how flawed—was in a different league than ordinary web fiction.

Shion laughed at them.

They sounded like elementary school kids who were about to burst into tears.

She had not attacked Harry Potter, only stated facts, and they leapt up in a frenzy, protesting with nonsensical rebuttals and copying the same evasions, inventing bogus reasons to counterattack web fiction.

Some web novels lacked detailed leveling systems and progression, so they weren't comparable.

Originally, Shion did not intend to trade insults—who wants to waste time arguing with kids? But the other side dragged Concealing the Heavens into it, claiming that even Concealing the Heavens and Harry Potter were evenly matched, each with their own merits and impossible to rank.

Saying that was giving Harry Potter too much credit and showing a shocking lack of perspective—an audacious attempt to defy the heavens!

Shion immediately argued with them for three days and three nights. If she hadn’t been unable to find their real-world whereabouts at the time, she would have gone there in person to force them to admit Harry Potter was far inferior to Concealing the Heavens.

After experiencing such fanaticism, Shion absolutely refused to engage with these people.

They lacked basic aesthetic sense and critical judgment, only stubbornly repeating themselves and refusing to duel in person.

What was that phrase again?

Right—functional literature fanatics.

Students who loved Harry Potter were a crowd of functional illiterates, impossible to reason with.

If Qianzhencao had been that first type, she would have been easy to handle—detestable, yes, but quickly marginalized. If she acted too extreme, Bingtang could have persuaded her to leave.

Such sacrilegious Magical Girls should be assigned to the Disaster Control Bureau.

But Qianzhencao insisted on staying and liked to linger in the Azure Cloud Sect.

What troubled Shion most was that Qianzhencao was not the first kind of fanatic, but the second kind—a disguised fanatic.

Disguised fanatics behaved like normal people, hardly revealing anything in daily life. To every criticism they nodded and agreed, “Yes, yes, very good.”

Then, at a critical moment, they bared their teeth and defended their beloved work.

They spread their virus everywhere, and were even more damaging than the first kind.

Because you could expel the first kind quickly; with the second kind like Qianzhencao, you couldn’t get them out from the start.

By the time you discovered it, it was already too late!

"Harry Potter is boring, it has no reasonable ranking system, why do you like something so awful?"

"Even if it’s awful, I like it, Sect Master! Web novels are great, but Harry Potter is unique!"

"Nonsense! Web novels are unique!"

"A thousand web novels equals a thousand Harry Potters, Sect Master Celestial Being!"

See? Hopeless.

Shion had intended to shake off the disciple, but Qianzhencao’s flying speed was not slow.

That was another reason Shion disliked Qianzhencao.

Qianzhencao had exceptional aerial talent and had joined the Azure Cloud Sect quite late.

By then the Seven True-Transmission positions were already filled. The Seven True-Transmission were essentially the sect’s seven most talented, strongest people, created to inspire the disciples.

Everyone aimed to become one of the Seven True-Transmission.

According to Bingtang, it was like a high-performer incentive system.

To Shion, traditional cultivation emphasized strict hierarchies and talent differences—without titles to express that, the sect’s purpose would be undermined.

Qianzhencao, having joined late, immediately promoted Harry Potter throughout the sect and preached its merits and interesting points to everyone.

In only three months, she ousted one of the Seven True-Transmission and took the slot.

For Shion, this was more than disgust.

Seeing Qianzhencao made her feel like a once-in-a-millennium genius led astray into evil, damned for countless calamities—the pity and hatred of wasted talent.

It was a waste of innate ability!

Now she had become the fastest disciple in the sect to break into the new Lush Leaves realm.

For a while, Shion couldn’t shake off this follower.

Originally sitting sideways on a broom, Qianzhencao tightened her legs around it to ride properly to keep up with her Sect Master. She pressed her wizard hat down and leaned forward, shouting loudly:

"I think Harry Potter actually has some web-novel style settings, like emperor-level and half-emperor-level—those are popular in our book circle and align with our sect’s cultivation structure! Some web-novel designs aren’t as rigorous as Harry Potter..."

"Nonsense!"

Shion, who had meant to seriously shake her off, finally stopped and turned, her face stern as she retorted:

"Far from it. You little brat, what do you know? Are your so-called emperor levels official? Does the author even recognize that rank? Sham imitation—are you really going to say that out loud?"

Qianzhencao finally stopped too, panting as she patted her cheeks.

Keeping up with the Sect Master was no easy task.

Though she was likely the fastest flier in the whole Azure Cloud Sect—faster even than Yumo right now—she had used the magic that suppressed her anti-gravity hat to its limit!

But she still trailed the Sect Master a bit...

However, Qianzhencao was not discouraged. She withdrew one leg and sat sideways on her broom again.

Not to be elegant—her inner thigh hurt from clamping the broom so hard.

Rubbing her sore thigh, she argued earnestly, "When Azure Cloud first added ranks for Magical Girls—Peak, Perfection, Half-Step Blooming—there was no official recognition then either. But later the sect got it recognized, right, Sect Master? Once enough of us accept it, the author will agree too!"

"That’s a different matter. As the Dao Master, I have the authority to open new realms."

Shion stared coldly at her. "Don’t compare the two!"

"Then I can be a Dao Master too!"

Qianzhencao raised her hand. "I’m already in Lush Leaves, Sect Master. If I work hard, I can step into Flourishing Branches and Cycle Sea, and eventually reach Half-Step Full Bloom! Then I can be a Dao Master and officially create new rankings for Harry Potter!"

This was why Qianzhencao had been sent off to other cities before.

She always wanted to draw up new ranks for Harry Potter and create an official ascension path in the Azure Cloud Sect.

"There is only one sect lineage!"

"But Sect Master, our ancestors always allowed many branches. There have been branch sects like the Qi Sect, the Sword Sect, or the Time of Cause and Effect Sect, each with very different cultivation laws."

Qianzhencao said seriously, "We could do that. You, the orthodox sect, and I, a side sect’s deputy. I’ll open a new lineage and let disciples choose."

"Deviant and heretical."

Shion didn’t debate; she produced an ancient, plain immortal sword with a flick of her hand.

If she had used another weapon, Qianzhencao would immediately say Harry Potter had it too.

To teach Qianzhencao a lesson, Shion had to use a sword.

Otherwise the follower would seize the loophole to mount verbal and spiritual attacks.

Having suffered before, Shion dared not use any other weapon. She roared:

"Blasphemy against our ancestors, wanting to disgrace your masters and kill your ancestors!"

"No!"

Qianzhencao immediately protested, wronged. "I only want to open a new Dao for our forebears. What did I do wrong? Sect Master, you didn’t come from nowhere—aren’t you the example? I only follow your example!"

"Smooth talker. Today I will purge our ancestral halls!"

The two were over the open sea—crossing it would lead directly to Beihai, the closest route.

Fighting in the middle of the ocean avoided harming the city or ordinary people.

Qianzhencao’s heart sank. She knew her Sect Master was serious.

Because Qianzhencao had insisted on preaching Harry Potter, she had often been dragged into sparring matches with the Sect Master.

That was why her progress had been so rapid.

Compared to other disciples who avoided training with the Sect Master, Qianzhencao enjoyed it. One, she improved quickly; two, she showed Shion her resolve.

She truly wanted to spread Harry Potter’s ascension path within the Azure Cloud Sect!

Although she had not formed a coherent system yet, she believed that if the Sect Master accepted it, it would work.

Because they had sparred before, Qianzhencao knew she couldn’t avoid a serious beating when Shion was determined, so she quickly put distance between them.

The sea and sky were iron-like; the purple Magical Girl was but a speck.

She seemed as if she could be crushed at any moment.

Waves surged like mountains, but the moment Shion moved, heaven and earth froze and the storm stilled.

The sword fell—

A silvery line of light flashed from the small girl’s hand!

The iron curtain covering sea and sky groaned, and from sky to seabed it was split in two by that single silver seam!

The sky above the sea had been heavy with rolling black clouds, and the waves boiled below.

Through the gale came a slit of sky, and warm sunlight squeezed through that narrow gap.

It fell beneath the split sea.

"Protego Totalum!"

Qianzhencao’s choice was simple—she deployed her defense.

By design, that spell generated a powerful, long-lasting protective barrier in a given area and could be layered with multiple protections.

Qianzhencao had no time to layer more spells; she poured every ounce of magic into that one incantation.

Then she flipped aside to dodge!

The swordlight was delayed by a heartbeat, then in the next instant it cleaved her broom to splinters!

Without her broom, Qianzhencao began to fall toward the water.

Not because she couldn’t fly—because in her system, she could not fly without a broom.

As a would-be Dao Master inaugurating a Harry Potter lineage, she would not break her own rules!

Falling, she hastily conjured a magical broom and steadied herself before crashing into the seabed.

Even her wizard hat’s tip was sliced by the sword, wounding Qianzhencao’s heart.

She had no time to think more and turned to face her Sect Master again.

Shion’s attack would not be limited to one strike.

The stronger the disciple, the more extravagant the blows they received...

The purple Magical Girl stood on the boundary between sea and sky, sheathing her blade in a flourish, taking a sword-drawing pose.

Behind her, the sea wall towered like a mountain, the chasm between sea and sky vast like a grand metaphor!

Once more the sword froze heaven and earth!

Qianzhencao pinched the tip of her hat back in place and inhaled sharply.

She knew this strike would likely erase her entire illusionary persona.

Although Shion would not truly kill her, if her persona was stripped back, her bid to establish Harry Potter’s new lineage would be over.

For Harry Potter—

She could not lose!

She had to make the Sect Master accept Harry Potter!

As Shion drew the sword, Qianzhencao’s wand suddenly changed color—from black to a gray-white hue.

Even Shion’s icy eyes registered a flicker of surprise.

The instant the overwhelming sword qi was unleashed, Qianzhencao’s wand erupted massive quantities of gray-white dregs!

They wound around all the sword qi!

"Expelliarmus!"

The gray-white dregs swiftly consumed the sword qi, spreading until they swallowed Shion’s plain immortal sword as well!

They even attempted to devour the magical outfit along the sword’s length.

Only when Shion unleashed her magic to burn them away did they finally vanish.

The sword qi disappeared, the sea slowly closed, roaring, and the slit of sky above was gradually covered by clouds once more.

Shion hovered above Qianzhencao. "Dregs’ polluted magic?"

"Hehe." Qianzhencao panted, nearly unable to rise, slumped over her broom.

Using gray-white dregs’ magic to neutralize the Sect Master’s weapon was no small feat.

It had drained both her mana and energy.

"Pretty impressive, Sect Master, right? That’s our Harry Potter’s compatibility..."

"Stop boasting. Where did you get that dregs’ magic?"

Qianzhencao obediently explained while lying on her broom, "Lady Bingtang ordered us to watch known traces of the old world. We discovered it during battles, and I used Harry Potter’s cultivation methods to incorporate the dregs’ magic into my system."

Shion fell silent.

Many knew of dregs’ polluted magic and had approached it. Several Magical Girls in the Azure Cloud Sect studied that field.

But for someone like Qianzhencao to independently discover a practical application was almost unheard of.

"You figured this out alone?"

"Yes."

Shion felt both frustrated and almost proud.

If only Qianzhencao had followed orthodox cultivation, what a gem she could have become!

Such talent wasted on crooked paths—it enraged her.

Shion thought for a moment and said, "The method to manipulate gray-white dregs was developed through our Azure Cloud Sect’s orthodox immortal techniques."

"Ah?"

Qianzhencao blinked. "Sect Master, but I used Harry Potter..."

"Open your own branch sect and go recruit disciples."

Qianzhencao’s eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, this method was researched using our Azure Cloud Sect’s orthodox cultivation!"

"Hmph."

Shion snorted and said no more.

She would not let people know such an important method originated from Harry Potter’s settings—that would disgrace their ancestors.

She wouldn’t allow it.

Reluctantly allowing Qianzhencao a branch to recruit disciples seemed acceptable.

Qianzhencao grinned and climbed off her broom:

"Aren’t our Harry Potter spells similar to talismans and immortal incantations?"

"Similar how?"

"In effect and method. Don’t orthodox cultivators chant spells? Like the 'urgent and binding' sorts?"

"How many web novels have you actually read? You call that orthodox cultivation?"

"I heard people online say so..." Qianzhencao cautiously flew beside Shion. "Sect Master, is there a chance our Harry Potter lineage could one day be merged into the Azure Cloud Sect’s orthodox line?"

"Don’t even think about it!"

"Oh..."

Shion was tired of arguing with Qianzhencao and changed the subject:

"Explain how your gray-white dregs are used."