Meeting the Higher-Ups

When Dai Bufan woke up once more, he saw Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Daoist Xiantian squatting on the ground, their heads huddled close as they looked down at him, confirming that everything from earlier had not been a dream. "Senior Brother Dai, you're finally awake." "Don't call me Senior Brother. I wouldn't dare have a junior brother like you." Dai Bufan pushed himself up, staring darkly at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, those two little rascals. *I told you two to go out and observe a few disciple candidates, but look at you—you went and brought the Founding Patriarch straight back!* Dai Bufan had always been known for his calm and composure; otherwise, he would never have been able to manage the Mission Hall or handle such an immense network of intelligence. Yet ever since getting to know Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, he felt that his emotional swings had escalated dramatically. Even now, his head was still spinning. "Come on, Senior Brother Dai, let us help you up." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou flanked Dai Bufan and hoisted him up, helping him sit back down on his chair. "Are you truly the legendary Patriarch, the Daoist Xiantian who lost his way?" Dai Bufan still could not bring himself to believe it. Although the two juniors had never lied to him, this matter concerned the sect's Founding Patriarch, after all. He did not dare make a mistake. After dispersing his cultivation to start anew, Daoist Xiantian's appearance had changed drastically, bearing no resemblance to the statues of the Patriarch preserved in the Dao Seeking Sect. Daoist Xiantian waved his hand bashfully. "Calling me 'legendary' is an exaggeration. My Daoist title is indeed Daoist Xiantian, but unfortunately, my token of identity was destroyed in a recent battle." "A recent battle? Then your current cultivation..." "I lost the fight and was gravely injured, so my only sliver of hope for survival was dispersing my cultivation to start anew. Luckily, fortune favored me, and I survived." Daoist Xiantian made it sound effortless, but the situation back then had been exceptionally perilous. Dispersing cultivation to start anew was never guaranteed to succeed. To maximize the chances of success, it was best done at one's peak. Dispersing cultivation while severely wounded, as Daoist Xiantian had, caused the failure rate to skyrocket. "Grandmaster, you must know that given your special status, I cannot make this decision alone," Dai Bufan said, feeling put in a difficult spot. "How about this: I will take you to see Senior Sister Yun and let her decide?" "Sounds good." Daoist Xiantian was very easy to talk to. Dai Bufan respectfully invited Daoist Xiantian to Tianmen Peak to see Yun Zhi. Before leaving, he glared back at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. "You two, follow along as well!" Lu Yang shook his head secretly, thinking that Senior Brother Dai was truly irascible and had terribly poor mental fortitude. He wondered how Dai Bufan had ever managed to cultivate to the Body Integration stage. In contrast, despite suffering the Immortal Fairy's daily harassment inside his spiritual space, he could still concentrate on cultivating. The difference in their caliber was clear as day. *** Tianmen Peak. True Monarch Gantian, who had just finished consolidating her realm, had also been dispatched on a mission by Senior Brother Dai, leaving Yun Zhi as the sole person on Tianmen Peak. In a rare departure from her routine, Yun Zhi was not cultivating. Instead, she sat on an imperial chair, taking small sips of tea. Four imperial chairs were arranged around a circular stone table, making the round table look completely out of place. As she sipped her tea, Yun Zhi was pondering where she might procure a matching stone table. "Senior Sister Yun." Dai Bufan bowed with his hands clasped over each other. "Hmm?" Yun Zhi set down her teacup and looked at the four of them with slight curiosity. Junior Brother Dai, Junior Brother Meng, Little Junior Brother, and an unfamiliar youth. "There is a matter that requires Senior Sister Yun's decision." Dai Bufan twitched the corners of his mouth, trying his best to maintain a solemn expression as he explained the strange youth's background. "In other words, this person is our Founding Patriarch, Daoist Xiantian Qi Tongtian?" Yun Zhi was briefly taken aback upon hearing this as well; she had not expected the Patriarch to still be alive. She pondered for a moment, then asked earnestly, "In that case, Grandmaster, do you want to be the Sect Master?"