“We only need to investigate the first level. The levels above the second are guarded by elders and are an entirely different world from the first. If Shu Xin really has the ability to hide somewhere up there, then even Grand Martial Uncle himself wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
“You’re right. Before Grand Martial Uncle arrives, let’s investigate the disciples confined on this first level. We can’t alert anyone, but we should at least have something to show Grand Martial Uncle for our efforts.”
After the two disciples used the formation disk to locate Shu Xin, they immediately informed Ning Weixuan instead of acting rashly. Otherwise, if Shu Xin escaped, they would have no way to answer for it.
What they hadn’t expected was that Grand Martial Uncle would arrive even sooner than they had imagined.
“Grand Martial Uncle.”
“We’ve been watching this place for quite some time. No one has entered or left, and for now, no one seems to have noticed it.”
“This is what we’ve managed to investigate so far. Time was short, so please forgive us for the inadequacies.”
Ning Weixuan examined the information recorded on the jade slip the two disciples handed him, then surveyed their surroundings and nodded.
Although these two subordinates were merely above average in aptitude, they were obedient, sensible, and never caused trouble. That alone made them better than many others.
Ning Weixuan had originally planned to end their trial soon and take them as disciples.
When accepting disciples, talent and comprehension were not the most important things. What mattered most was whether they were trouble-free and obedient.
“Grand Martial Uncle, there are quite a few disciples confined on this first level. If we search for them one by one, we may easily arouse the vigilance of the elders on the second level.”
“It’s fine. I have some old ties with those elders. The two of you only need to keep watch here.” After thinking for a moment, Ning Weixuan took out two magical treasures and handed one to each of them. “Take these. They’ll prevent outsiders from entering or leaving this place. If I successfully take Shu Xin as my disciple, you’ll have a senior sister.”
The two subordinates were not fools. They immediately understood what Grand Martial Uncle meant: he truly intended to accept them as disciples. They were overjoyed and spoke in unison.
“We wish you success, Master.”
Ning Weixuan smiled, then flew off to begin his search.
The spiritual sense of a cultivator in the Wugou Realm was incomparably vast. If this place had not been a prison in the middle of a lake, protected by formations, Ning Weixuan would not have needed to come in person. A sweep of his spiritual sense would have been enough to find Shu Xin’s hiding place.
But now, no matter how profound his cultivation was, he still had to search each room one by one.
Before long, he arrived at Luo Huannian’s room.
“Someone’s here…” Luo Huannian sensed that something was wrong and wanted to give a warning, only to discover that Shu Xin—who had been in his room just moments ago—had already disappeared.
When had she left?
Luo Huannian was utterly baffled. But before he could think further, a refined, middle-aged cultivator had already appeared before him.
The cultivator looked to be in his thirties or forties. He had a fair complexion, a neatly trimmed beard, and wore a blue robe. He looked just like a schoolteacher from the mortal world—gentle and harmless.
Yet Luo Huannian reacted as if he had encountered some terrifying monster. The spiritual swords around him could not even manage to rise into the air, and their blades trembled faintly.
“You…” Luo Huannian immediately retreated, cold sweat breaking out across his face.
Before being confined, Luo Huannian had seen only a handful of cultivators in the Wugou Realm within the Longevity Dao Sect. On the rare occasions when he had encountered one, he had merely glimpsed them from far away amid a crowd. He never would have imagined that after being confined, he would end up so close to a cultivator of that realm.
But even the Wugou Realm cultivators he had seen from a distance were nothing compared to the man before him. The difference between them was like a stream compared to the ocean.
For cultivators, advancing from Qi Refining to knocking on the Gate of Dao was the first great hurdle. Even in a major sect like the Longevity Dao Sect, fewer than one percent of its disciples succeeded in knocking on the Gate of Dao.
Successfully forming a core and advancing to the Grotto-Heaven Realm was the second great hurdle. A disciple who reached the Dao Infant Realm was already qualified to serve as an outer sect elder, while a Grotto-Heaven True Person could take on the position of a minor inner sect elder.
Above the Grotto-Heaven Realm were the Wugou, Mahayana, and Earthly Immortal realms. These could collectively be called the realms of immortals, and cultivators at such levels were not people one could casually encounter.
In this world, where Earthly Immortals had become legends among cultivators and Mahayana cultivators were almost impossible to find, Wugou Realm cultivators were practically the strongest combatants who still freely walked the cultivation world.
And a Wugou Realm cultivator who could freely enter and leave the prison in the middle of the lake naturally held an extraordinary position within the Longevity Dao Sect.
Luo Huannian did not dare entertain any other thoughts. He immediately bowed respectfully.
“Disciple Luo Huannian pays his respects to Elder.”
Ning Weixuan cast a casual glance around and took in every detail of the room where Luo Huannian was confined.
“Your swordsmanship has some merit.” Ning Weixuan looked at Luo Huannian only once before turning his gaze away.
The boy’s talent was indeed outstanding, but it was far inferior to his own.
Every cultivator who reached the Wugou Realm possessed peerless talent. A rising star like Luo Huannian was not worth a second glance from him before he reached the Grotto-Heaven Realm.
“Has anyone visited you here recently?” This was already the twelfth room Ning Weixuan had searched, and one of the ones he considered more likely.
There were many disciples confined on the first level, but only a few were capable of catching Shu Xin’s eye and cooperating with her.
Clever people had one common failing: they only liked working with other clever people.
Looking at fools was painful to the eyes. How could one possibly communicate with them?
“No.” Luo Huannian cursed Shu Xin inwardly. As expected, this man had come because of her.
What exactly had she done to bring a Wugou Realm ancestor here to find her? This was getting a little too outrageous.
“I’m not here to seek revenge on her.” Ning Weixuan smiled. He gathered his sleeves and continued, “That boy from the Lin family has only just entered the Wugou Realm, and his cultivation has no hope of advancing any further. As far as I’m concerned, resolving the grudge between her and the Lin family would be effortless if I intervened. I divined that she and I are fated to meet, so I intend to take her as my disciple.”
Luo Huannian did not dare say a word.
Ning Weixuan continued, “You may have heard of me. My Dao title is Shangwei Xiaxuan.”
“You’re Ancestor Ning?” Luo Huannian was dazed for a moment before blurting out, “You’re the Sect Master’s second disciple, one of the Nine Sons of Longevity?”
The current Sect Master of the Longevity Dao Sect had not appeared in public for several thousand years. It was said that he had entered the Mahayana Realm a millennium ago, but had never again managed the sect’s affairs. Only when matters of great importance concerning the sect arose would he manifest a clone to appear in public.
The people who truly governed the Longevity Dao Sect now were the nine disciples accepted by the Sect Master, collectively known as the Nine Sons of Longevity.
The Nine Sons of Longevity were either born into one of the three most powerful clans of the Longevity Dao Sect, peerless geniuses whose talents had never been seen in ages, or individuals blessed with tremendous fortune.
Ning Weixuan was the second disciple accepted by the Sect Master. It was said that he had already reached the Wugou Realm several centuries ago.
However, there had been no news of him walking the world for a long time, and many people had assumed that he had fallen.
“If you see her, tell her this: I will wait for three hours outside the prison in the middle of the lake. After that, I will leave.” Seeing that Luo Huannian was reasonably cooperative, Ning Weixuan flicked his sleeve. In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.
Only after the oppressive presence of the Wugou Realm expert had disappeared did Luo Huannian slump against the wall, his legs giving way beneath him.
Speaking with a cultivator of this level was simply too mentally exhausting.
By then, Shu Xin had already climbed in through the window.
“Much appreciated, much appreciated.” Shu Xin beamed. “I knew I was right about you. Even under the pressure of such a powerful cultivator, you still wouldn’t betray me.”
“But you were still discovered.” Luo Huannian had no time to maintain his composure now. “That was Ning Weixuan. Do you even know what he represents within the Longevity Dao Sect? At present, there are only three or four of the Nine Sons of Longevity who are qualified to compete for the position of Sect Master, and he is one of them. If you could become his disciple—or rather, even if you merely established some connection with him, relying on his influence, you could smash the Lin family’s ancestral hall, and they still wouldn’t dare do anything to you.”
If he himself could be accepted as Ning Weixuan’s disciple, what need would he have to worry about failing to avenge his great hatred?
For a moment, the way Luo Huannian looked at Shu Xin became strange.
He truly couldn’t understand what was so extraordinary about this female cultivator before him that she was worthy of having Ancestor Ning personally come to take her as a disciple.
If the cultivators of those great clans found out about this, every one of them would probably want to skin Shu Xin alive and tear her to pieces.
“He wants to take me as his disciple, so I have to agree?” Shu Xin tilted her head and smiled. “What, is the Immaculate Realm really that impressive? How do you know I won’t reach that realm someday?”
Luo Huannian wanted to argue, but although he hadn’t known Shu Xin for long, he knew that she was an exceedingly confident woman. Arguing with her would probably be pointless, so he simply said nothing.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Shu Xin smiled. Since Luo Huannian hadn’t betrayed her, she was willing to tell him a little more. “Did you know that one of the Nine Sons of Longevity once tried to recruit Situ Jian as well?”
Luo Huannian was both shocked and puzzled. He had no idea why Shu Xin was telling him this.
Surely she wasn’t just showing off.
“Because Situ Jian knew that getting involved at this stage would be no different from courting death.”
He wanted revenge, naturally, but he wasn’t foolish enough to do something like that.
If he wanted to borrow someone else’s power, he first had to make certain that he wouldn’t be devoured by that power himself.
“The Nine Sons of Longevity are brothers in name only. In reality, they compete against one another. Nine people have managed to split into more than a dozen factions, constantly shifting between allies and enemies. Ordinary people can’t make heads or tails of it. The cultivator clans that were caught up in their struggles number at least a hundred, and the cultivators who died are beyond counting.” Shu Xin shrugged. “Ning Weixuan hasn’t shown himself for many years. There are only two possibilities. Either he has been biding his time and keeping a low profile, or he has been driven out of the inner circle of power. If he were the former, he would never personally come looking for me and express his willingness to recruit someone of humble status. Therefore, his situation can only be the latter.”
“If he were at the height of his power, how could people like us, insignificant cultivators, have any opportunity at all?” Luo Huannian finally couldn’t hold back. “If he were to rise again, the resources he gained would be unimaginable.”
“When that time comes, the first people to be killed will be those of us who rose with him from humble beginnings.” Shu Xin’s voice turned cold. “When a general wins glory, ten thousand bones wither. The position of Sect Master of the Longevity Dao Sect is practically one of the most powerful positions in this world. The clashes taking place beneath that title aren’t something a minor cultivator like me can afford to get involved in.”
The people who could share hardship but not prosperity were the most common kind in this world.
Unfortunately, Ning Weixuan struck Shu Xin as exactly that sort of person.
Selfish, arrogant, conceited, and fiercely controlling.
In the workplace, people could fight to the point of tearing each other apart over the position of office director. How much more intense would the struggle be for the position of Sect Master?
That kind of war killed without drawing blood. If she set even one foot into it, she might die without even realizing what had happened.
This Ning Weixuan had most likely guessed that she possessed a rare treasure.
“He’s probably taken an interest in you, but he isn’t sure what you really are. That’s why he wants to recruit me under the name of master and disciple.” Shu Xin spoke to the sword spirit.
He also wanted her to work for him.
Once he had drained her of all her value and killed her, the sword spirit would fall into his hands as well. As her master, wouldn’t it be perfectly legitimate for him to claim his disciple’s relics?
“Still, the fact that he locked onto me after only a brief encounter with him shows that the rare treasures on his person are beyond anything we imagined.” Shu Xin didn’t believe that he had found this place for no reason.
After thinking it over, the only explanation was that he had noticed some clue during their brief meeting earlier.
[The old fellow certainly has a good eye.] The sword spirit was smug for a moment before voicing its concern. [But he’s blocking the entrance now. What are you going to do?]
“Since he’s already guessed something, we might as well let him guess something even bigger.” Shu Xin was silent for a while before speaking. “Man proposes, but Heaven disposes. This is also a warning for us. The heroes of this world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, and there really are quite a few who can discover us.”
Luo Huannian, however, only saw Shu Xin remaining silent. Assuming that she was struggling with whether or not to accept Ning Weixuan as her master, he found himself rather understanding.
“Actually, Ancestor Ning also…”
Before he could finish speaking, he saw only a streak of sword light.
So fast. What powerful sword energy.
That thought flashed through Luo Huannian’s mind before he collapsed completely.
[We’ve knocked him unconscious. What do we do next?]
Shu Xin had already taken the Fingertip Profound Light from her storage pouch.
“Sword spirit, use your sword energy to conceal my aura.” Bright light flashed through Shu Xin’s eyes. “Only an equal powerhouse can make another powerhouse wary.”
Power came from the barrel of a gun.
Without sufficient “truth” to restrain everything, it was useless no matter how much greater your principles were than the heavens.
“This time, I’m allowing you to go all out!”
Shu Xin: Just because someone in the Immaculate Realm wants me as a disciple, do I have to accept?
Xu Guan: This master is also in the Immaculate Realm!
