Even setting aside its status as one of the Five Great Immortal Sects, the Dao Seeking Sect was renowned throughout the cultivation world. Much like parents cautioning their children against playing with bad kids, elders frequently warned their disciples never to associate with people from the Dao Seeking Sect.
Yet there were always disciples who refused to believe the warnings and fooled around with the Dao Seeking Sect anyway, much to everyone's utter dismay.
Lan Ting was one such example.
Fortunately, the higher-ups of the cultivation world knew the Dao Seeking Sect was not entirely beyond redemption. Ever since the previous Sect Master of the Dao Seeking Sect disappeared and the new-generation Sect Master, Yun Zhi, took over, the sect's general atmosphere had noticeably improved—chiefly manifested in the fact that the Dao Seeking Sect no longer tormented outsiders, only their own people.
If the Dao Seeking Sect were likened to a mental asylum, Yun Zhi was the superintendent—one of the few sane individuals around.
Having Yun Zhi pay a visit was always better than having anyone else from that sect show up.
A hearty voice resonated from beneath the Heavenly Strategy Sect. In the blink of an eye, an aged figure materialized before Yun Zhi.
"Venerable Daoyan," Yun Zhi cupped her fists.
Venerable Daoyan, the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Strategy Sect, was a living antique of the cultivation world. Few people alive had lived longer than he had. He kept a low profile and had never revealed the true extent of his cultivation.
"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here?" Venerable Daoyan did not dare take Yun Zhi lightly, addressing her as Fellow Daoist.
"Doubts concerning immortals."
"Please."
"Please."
Venerable Daoyan invited Yun Zhi into a secret chamber within the sect and poured her a cup of tea.
"May I ask which aspect concerning immortals Fellow Daoist wishes to inquire about?"
"How much does the Venerable know about the Immortal Celestial?"
Venerable Daoyan showed a troubled expression and gave a wry smile. "The Immortal Celestial? Fellow Daoist has indeed raised a good question. The Immortal Celestial is the most enigmatic figure among the five ancient immortals. If not for the Immortal Cult swearing up and down that they discovered ruins containing records of the Immortal Celestial, even I wouldn't have known of the Immortal Celestial's existence.
"Moreover, even if ruins exist, they might not necessarily be genuine. I remain skeptical about the Immortal Celestial's existence."
"How so?"
"Ruins discovered more than ten thousand years ago are considered ruins and ancient by the people of today, but does ancient mean genuine?
"I've heard those ruins are artifacts of the Daqian Era. But what of the Daqian Era? That was already a new era, tens of thousands of years removed from the Ancient Era.
"Someone with an agenda could completely fabricate a nonsensical relic in the Daqian Era. Then, after one or two hundred thousand years, someone happens upon it, sees that it's a ruin, gasps in awe, and assumes whatever is recorded there must be true.
"If an Immortal Celestial truly existed, why is there no other evidence to corroborate it aside from those ruins?
"More than just a couple of grotto-heavens from the Daqian Era have been unearthed, so why haven't we found any records concerning the Immortal Celestial in them?"
Yun Zhi nodded; Venerable Daoyan's argument made a fair bit of sense. "As you know, I recently located the Immortal Cult's headquarters. Unfortunately, they fled too quickly, and not a single one was captured. However, I did learn a few things from the materials they left behind."
In truth, Yun Zhi had not obtained any intelligence from the headquarters; out of safety concerns, she simply did not wish to mention Lu Yang.
"I would like to hear the details."
"According to the Immortal Cult, the characteristic of the Immortal Celestial's Dao fruit can be called 'Imperishable.' As long as someone speaks the Immortal Celestial's title and immortal name, the Immortal Celestial can be revived."
Venerable Daoyan's pupils constricted slightly in great shock. Such a characteristic was extraordinary—it virtually meant being incapable of dying even if one wanted to.
"Every immortal Dao fruit possesses distinct characteristics; it seems the saying is truly not false."
After sighing in amazement, Venerable Daoyan continued, "Still, in the end, this is merely the one-sided claim of the Immortal Cult. I stand by my view: this is creating an immortal.
"The method is similar to attaining immortality through dynastic fortune in the Great Xia Dynasty. A mastermind behind the scenes fabricated a nonexistent immortal, utilizing the faith of the Immortal Cult. Accumulated over days and months, the Immortal Celestial would gradually take shape, and once the power of faith reached a certain threshold, the Immortal Celestial would emerge out of nothing, appearing out of thin air."
Yun Zhi did not refute him, quietly listening to Venerable Daoyan's theory. The Immortal Celestial had already revived, so it certainly was not a case of creating an immortal. Nonetheless, the theory of creating an immortal held some merit. The other three demonic cults might very well be creating immortals.
Yun Zhi expressed her gratitude to Venerable Daoyan and drifted away.
The Heavenly Strategy Sect Master approached Venerable Daoyan. Remembering how she had casually torn through the formation earlier, he still felt a lingering fear. "Patriarch, just how strong is Yun Zhi? Has she become an immortal?"
"Don't ask. I know nothing."
...
Yun Zhi had visited many people, and Venerable Daoyan was the last. With her business concluded, she returned directly to the sect.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang had returned to Tianmen Peak and sought out his master once more.
"Well? What did your senior brothers say? Did they all say that under my leadership, the Dao Seeking Sect grew stronger and more prosperous by the day?"
Daoist Buyu was utterly smug; he believed he had made an indelible contribution to the development of the Dao Seeking Sect.
Lu Yang looked at his master with a complex expression. "Indeed, your contributions are immense, but everyone prefers that Eldest Senior Sister manage the sect."
Daoist Buyu hung his head in dejection, looking as though his heart had turned to cold ashes. "Is that really how it is? Fine, then let her sit in the Sect Master's seat. It's only natural that a new generation replaces the old.
"Still, a disciple imprisoning her master to fight for power and status won't sound good if word gets out. It damages the reputation of our Dao Seeking Sect.
"Release me, and I'll fly far away. I won't mention the position of Sect Master again, nor will I ever return to the Dao Seeking Sect. What do you say?" Daoist Buyu bargained.
Lu Yang hesitated. He felt Daoist Buyu made sense, and his master didn't seem like the type to fight for power and status either. Just as he was contemplating whether to let his master out, a cool, indifferent voice echoed from above.
"Master, do you want to get out that badly?"
Hearing that voice, Daoist Buyu's expression changed drastically.
Lu Yang looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Eldest Senior Sister back. "Eldest Senior Sister!"
Yun Zhi gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and landed lightly, without a speck of dust clinging to her.
"Master, in your desperation to get out, you tricked Little Junior Brother?"
Yun Zhi spoke without the slightest trace of emotion, yet to Daoist Buyu's ears, it sounded like an impending volcanic eruption—utterly terrifying.
Tricked? Lu Yang's heart leaped. Could everything Master had told him have been a lie?
Then what was the truth?
Lu Yang's mind raced, and he soon thought of a possibility—an extremely likely one!
Master had suffered cultivation deviation, and Eldest Senior Sister, upholding justice over family, had suppressed Master here! Considering that domestic scandals should not be aired in public, she hadn't informed the elders about Master's cultivation deviation.
Taking advantage of Eldest Senior Sister's absence, Master had sent him a voice transmission, using sweet words to trick him into peeling off the talisman so he could bring disaster upon the world!
Close call, what a close call! Thank goodness Eldest Senior Sister arrived.
Just then, Eldest Senior Sister continued:
"Look at the Sect Masters of other immortal sects; all of them cultivate diligently. Now look at you, idling about all day long. Have you finished the daily cultivation homework I assigned you? Have you broken through your realm?
"You haven't completed anything, and you still want to come out and play?"
Daoist Buyu stammered and hemmed and hawed, unable to utter a single word.
Lu Yang: "..."
What the hell was I thinking just now? How could something so melodramatic ever happen in the Dao Seeking Sect!
Chapter 112