Yuqing Immortal Sect, outside Azure Abyss Peak. Chen Beiwu rode Golden Egg back toward Water Evolution Residence, his mind constantly turning over the questioning and conversation inside the Law Enforcement Bureau. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
“Buzz!”
Just then, his phone vibrated, and a message popped up.
Chen Beiwu glanced at it and connected with a thought. Senior Brother Jiang Chuan’s voice immediately rang out.
“Junior Brother, where are you now?”
“Almost at the foot of Azure Abyss Peak. I’m about to return to Water Evolution Residence.” Chen Beiwu said.
Hearing this, Jiang Chuan relaxed inwardly.
Although he knew that old fox Jin Zhaoyang would never allow Junior Brother to suffer even the slightest grievance, he had still been afraid that some unexpected accident might occur.
“Senior Brother, you already know?” Chen Beiwu asked pointedly.
“Not just me. Even Eldest Senior Brother and the others already know about this matter.” Jiang Chuan said solemnly.
Time passed easily. For powerful cultivators such as Nascent Soul True Monarchs, a single secluded cultivation session could last several years at the shortest, several decades at the longer end, or even centuries, equivalent to the entire lifetime of an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator.
Especially in recent years, Eldest Senior Brother Yue Chenfeng had been preparing to enter seclusion and attempt to break through to Divine Transformation True Venerable. His mind was immersed in the Great Dao, oblivious to the passage of time, and every seclusion lasted for decades. The same was true of Second Senior Sister and Third Senior Brother, who cultivated year-round and paid no attention to outside affairs.
The True Venerable Changqing of Dongming lineage’s only public voice remaining within Yuqing Immortal Sect was True Monarch Jiang Chuan, who served as deputy head of the Teaching Department.
It was precisely because of this that cultivators from the Law Enforcement Bureau had been able to enter the Taiyuan Heavenly Realm within half an hour and ask Junior Brother Chen to cooperate with their questioning, while Jiang Chuan had only barely learned of the news afterward.
But if it had been Azure Abyss Grotto-Heaven, things would have been completely different.
To put it plainly, if Junior Brother Chen had been cultivating inside Water Evolution Residence in Azure Abyss Grotto-Heaven rather than the Taiyuan Heavenly Realm, then although Jin Zhaoyang was a Supervisory Censor, he would still have needed to go through layer upon layer of applications just to meet Junior Brother Chen, much less question him.
“Wasn’t Eldest Senior Brother in seclusion?” Chen Beiwu raised an eyebrow, rather surprised.
Divine Transformation was difficult to attain.
If he had been in seclusion attempting to reach Divine Transformation True Venerable, he certainly would not have emerged from seclusion for a junior brother whom he had only met once.
Moreover, what had happened to him at present was merely a minor matter.
Yes, that was right.
In Chen Beiwu’s view, as an Immortal Alliance cultivator, cooperating with the Law Enforcement Bureau in handling a case was an obligation, and there was nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, the other party had harbored malicious intentions.
If the little fellow had not possessed extraordinary talent and the Mind’s Eye talent, allowing it to sense the benevolent and malicious thoughts of cultivators, Chen Beiwu would merely have assumed that Jin Zhaoyang had been conducting official business according to Immortal Alliance regulations and helping clear him of suspicion.
Of course, even without the little fellow’s warning, Chen Beiwu would have been able to work backward afterward and notice that something was wrong.
Otherwise, before leaving, he would not have deliberately asked Jin Zhaoyang that question.
“With something like this happening, do you think Eldest Senior Brother could continue his seclusion?”
Jiang Chuan shook his head: “It isn’t convenient to discuss this in detail over the phone. Since Junior Brother has already reached the foot of Azure Abyss Peak, then we’ll discuss this matter at Cloud Evolution Residence.”
After ending the call, Chen Beiwu’s eyes narrowed as he urged Golden Egg to accelerate his escaping light.
……
Azure Abyss Grotto-Heaven, Cloud Evolution Residence.
As Golden Egg’s escaping light descended, the cave residence’s restrictions were released and its gates opened.
Chen Beiwu stepped through the cave residence’s gates, and what entered his sight were four Nascent Soul True Monarchs of extraordinary bearing.
“Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sister.”
Chen Beiwu gave a slight salute.
“Junior Brother, there’s no need for such formality. Hurry and sit down for some tea.” Yue Chenfeng beckoned, his tone easygoing.
Chen Beiwu did not stand on ceremony either. He sat down directly, took a sip of hot tea, and went straight to the point: “Eldest Senior Brother, I want to know who was directing today’s actions by the Law Enforcement Bureau from behind the scenes?”
He had originally wanted to cultivate properly, attain the Dao as a True Monarch and True Venerable, and even reach the realm of Void-Refining Dao Venerable that countless Immortal Alliance cultivators did not dare dream of, without concerning himself with all this damned nonsense.
But since someone had voluntarily come knocking on his door to cause trouble, he could only kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, uncover the mastermind behind it, and settle accounts with them, lest he encounter something like this again in the future.
‘What keen instincts!’
Yue Chenfeng nodded slightly, inwardly approving.
He had originally been afraid that his little junior brother would suffer a loss, but now it seemed that he had worried too much.
His little junior brother came from an ordinary background and was not a second-generation sect cultivator, so he did not know the unspoken rules tacitly observed by the Thirteen Immortal Sects and the Law Enforcement Bureau.
Yet even so, he had still managed to react within such a short period and realize that there had been numerous problems with the questioning itself.
“Little Junior Brother, do you know the Tianyuan Xiao Clan?” Yue Chenfeng asked.
‘As expected.’
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu nodded and instantly locked onto Xiao Yu as the suspect.
After Yue Chenfeng said the four words ‘Tianyuan Xiao Clan’, he had secretly watched the changes in Chen Beiwu’s expression the entire time, only to discover that his little junior brother remained calm, without even the slightest reaction.
That was somewhat unreasonable.
Any cultivation prodigy with even a little understanding of the Immortal Alliance’s top powers knew that the Tianyuan Xiao Clan stood alongside the Tianyuan Yu Clan and was a Dao Venerable Immortal Family capable of influencing the decisions of Yuqing Immortal Sect.
The Xiao Clan Patriarch was a Void-Refining Dao Venerable who had lived for who knew how many tens of thousands of years. A mere stomp of his foot could influence Immortal Alliance policy, making him one of the absolute pinnacle powerhouses of Sky Abyss Star.
Faced with a colossal existence like the Tianyuan Xiao Clan, let alone Yue Chenfeng, a Nascent Soul Great Perfection True Monarch, even a powerhouse like their master who had reached the very limit of Divine Transformation True Venerable would have to show them a measure of respect.
Yet his little junior brother, merely a Golden Core True Person, could remain completely calm.
Good heavens. No wonder Master so often praised Little Junior Brother in front of him, saying that he possessed the potential to reach Divine Transformation and Void Refining. With a mentality capable of remaining unchanged even if a great mountain collapsed before him, Little Junior Brother’s future truly would be extraordinary.
“Little Junior Brother, tell me the truth. When did you offend True Monarch Breaking Law Xiao Yu?”
As soon as Yue Chenfeng said this, the gazes of Su Muyu, Mo Chen, and Jiang Chuan all sharpened slightly.
Xiao Yu was merely a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch. Although his reputation was considerable, he was not enough to make them wary.
What truly made them deeply apprehensive were Xiao Yu’s True Venerable father and Dao Venerable patriarch.
Yuqing Immortal Sect respected strength above all, and the Tianyuan Xiao Clan was one of its most powerful factions. It had produced quite a few Sect Masters, and even the current Sect Master of Yuqing had to show them some respect, taking Xiao Yu as his disciple.
“If I said I didn’t, would Senior Brothers and Senior Sister believe me?” Chen Beiwu chuckled.
The Tianyuan Xiao Clan was indeed powerful, but the True Venerable Changqing of Dongming lineage was no soft persimmon that could be casually bullied. Moreover, he was the creator of a Yuanshi Golden Core, something that appeared only once every ten thousand years in Yuqing Immortal Sect.
Otherwise, Jin Zhaoyang would not have handled the matter so cautiously. In name, Chen Beiwu had merely gone over for some tea, and the entire questioning process had lasted less than five minutes before it was declared over. Jin Zhaoyang had thanked him for cooperating with the Law Enforcement Bureau’s investigation without giving the Changqing lineage any excuse to make trouble.
“I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?” Yue Chenfeng smiled.
There were differences between those close and distant. How could he not believe his little junior brother’s words?
“I have heard something about Xiao Yu. This man possesses extraordinary talent and ability. He formed a Titled Golden Core, cultivates a Pure Yang Nascent Soul, once served as Chief Disciple of the Immortal Sect, and is now even listed in the golden register of Sect Master Successors.”
At this point, Su Muyu changed the subject: “However, Master once personally commented that judging a person is like observing a mountain.
“Although Xiao Yu possesses decent talent, his temperament is narrow, he is far too arrogant, and he cannot tolerate others. He most likely has no fate with the position of Yuqing Sect Master.”
“So that’s how it is. Xiao Yu targeted Little Junior Brother because of the position of Yuqing Sect Master.” Mo Chen said in sudden realization.
Su Muyu glanced at Mo Chen, utterly speechless.
Third Junior Brother was good in every respect except that his head was a little dull and could not turn corners.
Every sip and every bite was predetermined by fate.
The Tianyuan Xiao Clan had indeed produced quite a few Yuqing Sect Masters, but the position of Sect Master could only be held by a cultivation giant at the peak of Divine Transformation.
Xiao Yu was currently merely a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch. Whether he could advance to Divine Transformation True Venerable in the future was still uncertain, much less reach the peak of Divine Transformation.
In Su Muyu’s view, the reason Xiao Yu had targeted Little Junior Brother was simply because he did not want Chen Beiwu to be entered into the Yuqing Sequence Golden Register, become one of the Sect Master Successors, and gain the right to compete for Divine Transformation resources.
If she had guessed correctly, this questioning had merely been Xiao Yu’s probing move and show of force. He wanted to test the reaction of the True Venerable Changqing of Dongming lineage before advancing to the next step of his plan.
“The matter of the Ancient Demon Sect can be either major or minor. Although Xiao Yu covered his tracks very cleanly, if Little Junior Brother trusts me, you can leave this matter for your senior brother to handle.” Yue Chenfeng said after carefully considering his words.
Although he did not want to admit it, powerful cultivators within the sect who were dedicated to the Great Dao of cultivation all regarded mundane affairs as things that delayed them and were unwilling to waste their time on them.
Those who could ascend to high positions within the sect were, for the most part, two types of cultivators: one type had no hope of advancing further on the cultivation path and became parasites who coveted authority and influence, seizing power for themselves;
The other type relied upon authority to make their clan’s power flourish, thereby feeding resources back to themselves so that they could continue pursuing the Great Dao of cultivation.
What these high-ranking sect members valued was solely their own tangible interests, not the interests of the sect. They could even harm the sect’s interests for their own personal benefit.
Yuqing Immortal Sect’s situation was still relatively good. Because of the existence of the Five Great Grotto-Heavens, the sect’s upper echelons could maintain at least a basic level of fairness and impartiality, granting peerless prodigies sufficient treatment and status so that second-generation sect cultivators would not monopolize the vast majority of resources.
Bixiao Immortal Sect was precisely the opposite. It could not even achieve the most basic fairness and impartiality. Every young prodigy who managed to distinguish themselves in each generation was a second-generation cultivator of the Immortal Sect.
Even if several monstrously talented cultivators from humble backgrounds occasionally appeared, they would be invited to a feast and beheaded by second-generation cultivators of Bixiao Immortal Sect before being taken in as dogs. Those who refused to submit would be suppressed no matter how talented they were, deprived of cultivation resources, and ultimately fade into mediocrity.
Yue Chenfeng could understand this.
There were ultimately differences between those close and distant.
For the various lineages of Bixiao Immortal Sect that had simply given up trying, the rise of a peerless prodigy could certainly bring numerous benefits, but it would also take away even more benefits that originally belonged to them.
Unless that peerless prodigy was willing to submit and enter their service.
Otherwise, the greater someone’s talent was, the more wary certain sect leaders would become.
After all, a peerless prodigy who had yet to mature was easy to control, but a cultivation giant who had grown to the pinnacle was not. Such a person could even turn around at any moment and replace their own position and authority. It was naturally more reassuring to cultivate one of their own instead.
Thus, Yue Chenfeng had actually always harbored one doubt in his heart: why had the Five Great Grotto-Heavens and Upper Three Immortal Sects always devoted themselves to nurturing young prodigies, while the Thirteen Immortal Sects had instead somewhat given up?
Were there not already enough powerhouses of the older generation?!
Cultivators were different from mortals. Their lifespans were long, especially existences like Void-Refining Dao Venerables, whose lifespans could easily reach a hundred thousand years.
To put it unpleasantly, if the Immortal Alliance did not possess the ability to capture and search for otherworldly realms and launch wars between two realms to seize resources, the cultivation resources of Sky Abyss Star alone would not even be enough to satisfy the daily cultivation needs of the Immortal Alliance’s Void-Refining Dao Venerables.
Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Yue Chenfeng raised his eyes toward Chen Beiwu and waited for his little junior brother’s response.
A master’s grace was as weighty as a mountain.
Since Master had instructed him before entering seclusion to look after Little Junior Brother, he would do his utmost to do so.
If he could not resolve it, then he would simply tear away all pretenses and bring the matter before the Sect Master of Yuqing. At that point, no matter how cleanly Xiao Yu had covered his tracks, he would not come away unscathed.
“Then I’ll have to trouble Eldest Senior Brother.” Chen Beiwu did not refuse.
Yuqing Immortal Sect was both a single whole and an organization composed of the various Dao Venerable Immortal Families and numerous True Venerable Clans.
Xiao Yu was merely a Nascent Soul True Monarch. The Tianyuan Xiao Clan behind him could not represent all of Yuqing Immortal Sect and could only represent a portion of its cultivation factions.
Furthermore, every cultivation clan contained different internal factions.
Taking another step back, let alone Yuqing Immortal Sect, even Xiao Yu’s own actions could not represent the entire Tianyuan Xiao Clan.
Even so, without the backing of his master’s lineage, relying solely on his status as the teacher who pioneered the Foundation Establishment path and his reputation as the creator of the Yuanshi Golden Core was still far from enough for Chen Beiwu to contend with Xiao Yu.
Even with Master cultivating in seclusion, having a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator like Eldest Senior Brother step forward might not necessarily be enough to properly deal with Xiao Yu.
At this thought, Chen Beiwu raised his head and looked at Yue Chenfeng: “Eldest Senior Brother, do you know where Xiao Yu frequently goes?”
“You want to seek him out yourself?”
Hearing this, a strange look appeared in Yue Chenfeng’s eyes, while Su Muyu and the other two also looked astonished.
“Junior Brother, Xiao Yu is a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch who can easily suppress late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarchs. His strength is far beyond that of a prodigy like Yue Xiao, who had only recently entered the Nascent Soul realm.” Jiang Chuan hurriedly warned him.
What kind of joke was this? On the surface, the Law Enforcement Bureau’s actions had even been clearing Little Junior Brother of suspicion of colluding with the Ancient Demon Sect. They had merely been secretly fanning the flames. Things had not yet reached the point where a common man’s rage would spill blood within five steps.
“Senior Brother Jiang, I’m merely a Golden Core True Person. I couldn’t possibly do something as foolish as assassinating a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.” Chen Beiwu corrected him.
“Hard to say.” Su Muyu looked strangely at Chen Beiwu.
Good heavens, Little Junior Brother was truly petty!
They had not even questioned him in detail, yet Little Junior Brother had already brought up the word assassination himself. How was that any different from confessing without being asked?
“Cough, cough.” Mo Chen coughed lightly twice, his expression also nearly breaking.
There was no other reason. Even he found it somewhat unbelievable that Chen Beiwu would dare say such a thing. Just what kind of disciple had Master taken in? He looked refined and handsome, with a gentle and elegant bearing, yet who would have thought that he was the sort of person who dared poke a hole straight through the heavens?
To be fair, internal conflict between the sect’s various factions was perfectly normal.
For the sake of利益, some high-ranking sect members with longstanding grudges could beat each other bloody one moment, then shake hands and make peace the next, cooperating and joining forces.
Mo Chen knew something about Xiao Yu and understood that no matter how arrogant a second-generation member of a Dao Venerable Immortal Family might be, he would not dare plot against Little Junior Brother’s life. At most, he would stain Little Junior Brother’s reputation and prevent him from entering the Yuqing Sequence Golden Register.
But Junior Brother was something else entirely. His killing intent was this intense!
Xiao Yu had merely tested him slightly, yet Junior Brother had already developed killing intent and planned to settle things once and for all, ending their enmity with one man’s death.
Absurd. To be this rampant in broad daylight, talking about assassination at the slightest provocation—just who exactly was the second-generation descendant of a Dao Venerable Immortal Family here?
‘With how petty he is, I absolutely must never casually offend Little Junior Brother in the future!’
Mo Chen turned his head and exchanged a glance with Su Muyu, thinking inwardly.
“Junior Brother has admirable courage, but forget about assassination. If something truly happens to Xiao Yu, even Master won’t be able to protect you after emerging from seclusion.” Yue Chenfeng took a deep breath and said.
He had to retract his previous assessment of his little junior brother.
What keen instincts? Little Junior Brother was simply a ruthless man through and through!
“Senior Brothers and Senior Sister have misunderstood.” Chen Beiwu shook his head in denial: “Your junior brother isn’t foolish enough to go that far. I asked Eldest Senior Brother about this only because I want to meet Xiao Yu once and determine the strength of his aura.”
“If Xiao Yu’s aura is merely ordinary, then after I attain the Dao as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, I intend to challenge him on the Life-and-Death Platform.”
“Since we’re determining superiority, we might as well decide life and death. When the time comes, all grudges will naturally disappear.”
As Chen Beiwu’s words fell, Cloud Evolution Residence instantly became deathly silent.
Chapter 380: Since We’re Determining Superiority
17 min read