Playing Cai Youde

Regarding Master Cai's plans for the Shang Family business.

Xiao Chen remained neutral, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, letting him figure it out himself.

He only cared about how to make a subtle appearance without being completely exposed to the outside world.

After successfully creating some traces of activity here, he still needs to go back to his secluded cultivation to break through his Body Cultivator barrier.

The delayed opening of the Vast Sea Secret Realm gave him ample time to advance his Body Cultivator.

However, Master Cai didn't think so.

He excitedly studied the map for a moment, then suggested, "If it's convenient for Senior Xiao, why don't you make an appearance during this Memorial Ceremony?"

"To demonstrate force in order to compete for industry, or to showcase Development Potential."

"This presents a perfectly reasonable opportunity to showcase our strengths to the outside world."

"Take advantage of this moment to showcase the Qilin Child our Lineage has nurtured, thereby putting pressure on others."

"It can be said to be one of the most logical and least suspicious actions."

"Furthermore, Senior Xiao mentioned last time that he wanted to portray a genius youth who broke through to the Nascent Soul stage within just a few years."

"In that case, the clan needs to create some commotion as well."

"These actions would naturally arouse suspicion, so it's better to let them discover the 'truth' directly, which will also allow for further disguise."

Master Cai wasn't just making things up to fight for the assets.

The main reason was during the last time the two of them discussed their disguise plan.

Xiao Chen made it clear that the False Identity he needed was that of a Nascent Soul True Lord who could withstand secret investigation after he went to the Holy City.

After taking all factors into consideration, I decided to play the role of a prodigy with exceptional talent.

While this might seem a bit high-profile, it also gives him more freedom of action, making his collection of various resources more reasonable.

Conversely, if Xiao Chen decides to play the role of a normal Newly Promoted True Monarch.

Although it may seem low-key and not easily attract attention, it can also bring a lot of inconvenience.

Firstly, the Cultivation Speed of ordinary cultivators is usually not very fast, and breaking through to the Nascent Soul is a relatively long process.

This means that Xiao Chen might have to pretend to wait for decades, which is obviously too long.

Secondly, after ordinary cultivators break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, they should be busy consolidating their cultivation, practicing Cultivation Method, and accumulating strength.

They are less likely to seek out Breakthrough Secret Method or compete for Breakthrough Spirit Pill early on.

In fact, even if they had some ancestral Spirit Stone, they wouldn't easily spend them, let alone compete for various rare spirit items at high prices.

But if it is a Genius Cultivator, a peerless prodigy who is expected to break through to the Spirit Transformation Peerless Prodigy in a short period of time.

Then all of this would seem perfectly logical.

Finally, False Identity often involves the issue of acting skills.

However, Xiao Chen doesn't even need to act out the role of a genius boy, because he is already very young.

Just standing there, he's a genuine genius!

"But I still have a lot of important things to do."

Xiao Chen felt this seemed like a good idea, but there was one problem. "If we make a public appearance this time, won't we have to make regular public appearances from now on?"

"As you probably know, the impact of the Great Purge is still very serious."

"If anything unexpected happens, I might not be able to come back for another six months or even a year."

"What if it arouses suspicion from outsiders?"

However, it seemed that Master Cai had already anticipated this situation.

Almost instantly upon hearing the question, he replied, "This is quite simple to handle."

"We can arrange a battle or a duel, or at the very least, a Dao Discussion Conference."

"Then announce to the public that you have benefited greatly from the battle or exchange, and that you will return to prepare for Closed-Door Cultivation."

"As long as you control your initial cultivation level, say, the Early-stage Golden Core Completion."

"At the same time, when you make your next public appearance, show the outside world that you have broken through the bottleneck through seclusion and reached the Mid-stage Golden Core."

"In this way, we can openly and legitimately refuse visits from outsiders during our seclusion."

"At the same time, it will also allow everyone to witness that your Cultivation Talent under this False Identity is truly astonishing."

You know what, it actually sounds like a good idea.

Sudden Comprehension during the battle, and then went into seclusion to break through his bottleneck. This is indeed in line with everyone's impression of what Genius Cultivator should be like.

The only problem might be that Xiao Chen didn't learn any proper Third-tier Wood Element Spell back then.

Therefore, if he goes out to fight under False Identity, he will have to learn two new Law Technique to fight the enemy.

Furthermore, for better disguise, it's best not to choose Yellow-grade Spell, but rather well-known local Heaven-grade Spell.

This was done so that the onlookers could easily recognize it as Heaven-grade Spell, thus confirming his status as Genius Cultivator.

Fortunately, this problem is not difficult to solve.

As one of the Four Great Families, the Cai Family possesses all Five Elements Spell and has everything from heaven and earth to black and yellow.

So Xiao Chen directly obtained a copy of the <Rong Chun Du Ling Jue> from the Cai Family and then practiced it for a few extra days.

To be honest, as Nascent Soul True Lord practicing Third-tier Technique, the whole process did feel much simpler.

He successfully learned the two main Law Technique that came with it in just two days.

These are the <Glorious Spring Thousand Leaf Sword>, which is primarily used for offense, and the <Spirit Crossing Spring Blossom Barrier>, which is used for defense.

Then, he easily mastered several other complementary Law Technique in just three days.

Although the proficiency is slightly lower, this deficiency can be compensated for by a higher quality of true essence.

In other words, Xiao Chen mastered a complete set of Heaven-grade Spell in just five days.

Even though it's only Third-tier Spell, this speed is still astonishing.

From this perspective, those Wood Element Spiritual Material they consumed and the Wood Element Dao Comprehension Crystal they absorbed were indeed not wasted.

Of course, Xiao Chen felt that his own high level of comprehension and outstanding talent were also very important factors.

Because he learned so quickly, they had to wait two more days.

It wasn't until the Gui Yun Sect set up a mourning hall and temporarily lifted the restrictions on the blessed land, allowing outsiders to come and pay their respects, that this continued.

Only then did he put on a cloak and, together with the rest of the Cai Family family, head to the Ze Realm Blessed Land to offer sacrifices.

Elder Luo held a high position in the Gui Yun Sect, mainly because he had indeed cultivated many good relationships during his lifetime.

Therefore, the mourning hall built for him by the Gui Yun Sect was grand in scale and of extremely high standard.

The white gauze and plain silk in front of the hall stretched for ten miles; thousands of Everlasting Lamp on both sides, burning day and night.

The Elder in charge of rites from the Gui Yun Sect personally presided over the ceremony, holding Jade Slip and reciting the sacrificial text.

His expression was sorrowful, and his eyes were red-rimmed, but his voice was steady and his words were exceptionally clear.

Many disciples, dressed in plain clothes and holding white banners, lined up on both sides to welcome the guests.

There were even a few white cranes kept by the family circling in the air, occasionally letting out a clear cry, as if bidding farewell to the deceased.

The number of cultivators coming to worship was endless, including a large number of Wilderness Cultivators.

Of course, some of them may be genuinely grateful for Elder Luo's past kindness, and that's why they came to sincerely pay their respects.

Most of the rest are more likely taking advantage of the fact that the blessed land is open to the public to try and absorb some of its Spiritual Qi.

Before leaving, take a Spirit Fruit as an offering, according to local custom.

In the Gui Yun Sect, the principle during worship is that everyone who sees it should have a share.

In other words, all the monks who come to worship can share at least one Spirit Fruit that has been offered in the shrine.

This indeed attracted many independent cultivators who made a special trip to the mourning hall. After kneeling and bowing, they stared longingly at the mountain of Spirit Fruit piled up inside.

Although most of them are worthless first-tier Spirit Fruit, they are still spirit items at least.

It's better than them being outside, never even able to smell a fragrance all year round.

Even some independent cultivators, whether out of genuine emotion or feigned solace, burst into tears on the spot before the altar, murmuring sorrowfully to themselves.

It tells the heartbreaking story of how Elder Luo once gave him guidance in a certain year and month, but he was unable to repay the kindness in the end.

There are quite a few people like this.

When Xiao Chen arrived with the Cai Family family, he saw several cultivators crying loudly.

One of them was crying and kowtowing on the ground, drawing blood on the spot, but he still didn't care.

Then he was grabbed by the nearest Gui Yun Sect disciple and thrown out on charges of maliciously disturbing the mourning hall, without even getting Spirit Fruit.

"These rogue cultivators are clearly overacting; they're actually causing trouble here."

Master Cai glanced at it disdainfully, then whispered, "Senior Xiao, when we pay our respects later, just stop here."

"Anything in excess is as bad as too little. If you talk too much or in too much detail, it's easy to run into problems."

"How about we do as we agreed before, offer a simple thank you, just to make it seem a little more sorrowful?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen nodded almost imperceptibly. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Also, how many times have I told you? Once we're outside, don't call me 'senior' anymore. Just treat me like a junior member of the Cai Family."

"Lest the walls have ears and outsiders overhear us."

He's emphasized this at least eight, if not ten.

But every time, Master Cai would readily agree, only to secretly change back to the honorific title a short while later to show his respect.

The key point is that he really didn't have any malicious intent; he was simply being cautious when dealing with high-level cultivators.

In fact, the line of people who came had already formed an exceptionally long queue, but since the Cai Family was one of the Four Great Families, they certainly didn't have to wait in line.

Soon, disciples from the Gui Yun Sect came forward to greet them.

They were respectfully led to the other side and given priority to enter the mourning hall to pay their respects.

Of course, not all members of the Cai Lineage can enjoy this treatment.

Some less powerful Branch Lineage and distant relatives could only kneel and pay their respects from a distance of half a mile in the front half of the mourning hall.

However, members of the main lineage and several important Branch Lineage can go deep into the mourning hall, about three zhang in front of it, and even personally light an incense stick in the long and wide bronze cauldron in front of it.

"This young master looks somewhat unfamiliar."

The Gui Yun Sect's Internal Affairs Elder, who was in charge of guiding the worship ceremony, quickly noticed Xiao Chen and asked curiously, "But I wonder which generation you belong to?"

As expected, Master Cai immediately gave the expected answer, simply explaining, "This is a nephew of mine who was adopted into the Direct Lineage."

"From the generation name 'You', the given name is Youde, the 'De' in 'virtuous and talented'."

oh?

Upon hearing this, the Internal Affairs Elder immediately looked Xiao Chen up and down again, a hint of surprise that he could hardly hide showing in his eyes.

Master Cai's words seem simple enough.

However, upon closer examination, it actually contains many hidden meanings.

It's important to understand that while large Lineage don't place particular emphasis on the difference in birth between the Direct Lineage and Branch Lineage, all family members with high enough talent are treated equally.

However, the prerequisite of 'having enough talent' is itself quite special.

It is extremely rare for someone to be directly adopted into the Direct Lineage, unless they encounter Kirin Child with exceptional talent who is expected to revitalize the Lineage.

Of course, sometimes a single inference is not necessarily correct.

However, Master Cai added an extra detail: the name was chosen based on the phrase "possessing both virtue and talent."

Moreover, during the introduction, his tone unconsciously revealed a sense of recognition towards this younger person.

This means that he must have really agreed with this assessment.

The Internal Affairs Elder was no fool. Combining these two points with some rumors about the Cai Family over the years, he almost immediately guessed Xiao Chen's False Identity.

He smiled and nodded in praise, "I see, you truly live up to your name; you look like a very talented person."

They simply wrote the name down on the roster.

He also made a point of remembering this matter, intending to report it to the sect for record-keeping upon his return.

Often, some Secret Intelligence comes from these subtle clues.

But this time, he didn't really need to go to such lengths.

Because Xiao Chen and Master Cai came here specifically to leave a trace.

Next, they will directly expose this False Identity.

As planned, Xiao Chen lingered a little longer in front of the mourning hall, pretending to be reluctant to leave.

He had already discussed it with Master Cai, and afterwards he would send someone to spread rumors that Elder Luo had indirectly given Cai Youde a few pointers.

Anyway, the other party is a very kind person who has accumulated a lot of good karma, so there's no way to verify everything.

Besides, this is a good thing, not just gossip, so no one will take it seriously.

With the Cai Family's encouragement, this matter will soon spread widely.

Years later, the rumors can no longer be traced back to their source, and what was false becomes true.

At that point, even if an investigation were conducted, no matter how capable the investigator was, they would be absolutely unable to find anything amiss.

"The ritual is over. When do we start next?"

After leaving the mourning hall, Xiao Chen asked in a low voice about the next step.

Master Cai immediately replied, "I've already made arrangements..."

Before he could finish speaking, he looked up at the sky.

All the cultivators present looked up and gazed at the sky.

A large, Twin-headed Swallow was seen slowly descending, flapping its wings.

What followed was a powerful pressure belonging to Fourth-Order great demon, which immediately made many low-level cultivators feel as if they were being pressed down under a mountain.

Many people felt breathless, and some Qi Refining Cultivator were even forced to suffer internal injuries and vomit blood by the sheer pressure.

On the back of that Twin-headed Swallow stood an old man with snow-white hair, wearing a long robe and holding Coiled Dragon Staff.

He gently lifted the Coiled Dragon Staff and pointed it downwards. "You beast, don't you dare act recklessly!"

The Twin-headed Swallow immediately became much more docile, suppressing its imposing aura.

Then, ignoring the Gui Yun Sect Elder who were crowding around, the old man went directly to the front of the mourning hall and casually lit an incense stick.

To outsiders, it appeared to be a group of friends of Elder Luo who had come to pay their respects.

However, Xiao Chen clearly sensed that the other party directly used their Divine Sense to erase the simple restrictions on the scene and entered the coffin inside the mourning hall.

Normally, this is to avoid offending the deceased.

Not only were there restrictions around the mourning hall, but there were also restrictions on the coffin itself to prevent external Divine Sense from spying on it.

However, the old man still managed to forcefully break through the restriction with his Divine Sense and take a look at the situation inside the coffin.

Then he withdrew his Divine Sense and slowly walked out.

She turned her head slightly and glanced in Xiao Chen's direction.

Instead of taking the Spirit Fruit, he mounted the Twin-headed Swallow and quickly left the scene.

This is very strange. He came and went in such a hurry, and we have no idea what he was planning to do.

Not only were the people present unaware, but even the True Lord of the Gui Yun Sect were caught off guard.

By the time they arrived, the other party had already ridden away on Spirit Beast.

So only Gui Yun True Monarch, Caiyun True Monarch, and the others remained standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment. Then they pulled aside the Elder and stewards present and questioned them in detail about the specifics of what had just happened.

This disrupted the entire worship process.

Meanwhile, the originally planned appearance was also disrupted.

"The situation seems to have changed. What do you mean now?"

Xiao Chen and Master Cai stepped back a short distance and then communicated quietly.

"The situation is unusual today, and I think it would be best to postpone it for two days and observe the situation."

Master Cai was actually a little unsure, so he subconsciously chose to play it safe.

"Alright then."

Xiao Chen didn't object, but reminded him, "But don't drag it out too long, I have other things to take care of in a few days."

He didn't want to waste too much time here.

Fortunately, the Vast Sea Secret Realm Inner Realm has been open for a full year, so his time isn't too tight, and a few more days won't make a difference.

However, coincidentally, due to the interference of the mysterious True Lord who controlled the Twin-headed Swallow.

All the True Lord who were originally in the Gui Yun Sect came here, and a temporary tent was set up next to them.

Xiao Chen had originally thought that he would have to return empty-handed today.

Not long after, Elder from the Gui Yun Sect came over. "Gui Yun True Monarch invites Old Mr. Cai and his clan member ' Cai Youde ' to come to the tent for a chat."

It seems that during their investigation, they may have accidentally discovered the traces that were deliberately left behind.

Upon hearing this sudden request, even the seasoned Master Cai, who had weathered many storms in his life, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Without any prior preparation, suddenly having to meet with several True Lord of the Gui Yun Sect shouldn't cause any problems, right?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn his head slightly to glance at Xiao Chen.

However, it was noticed that after a brief moment of surprise, the other person's expression quickly returned to calm.

He looked like an ordinary junior who had been unexpectedly summoned by a senior, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Master Cai couldn't help but admire him. No wonder he was Senior Xiao; his mental fortitude was truly remarkable. He remained calm and composed in the face of danger.

Despite the suddenness of the event, there was absolutely no sign of anything unusual.

They seemed completely unconcerned about being exposed by the Gui Yun Sect and facing the grave danger of being surrounded.

Actually, he was overthinking it.

Xiao Chen appeared calm and composed because he was confident and fearless.

Firstly, the entire disguise plan has only just begun, so even if it fails today, there will be almost no loss.

Therefore, there is no need to be nervous or worried.

Secondly, Xiao Chen's own safety is even less of a concern.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this seems to be Gui Yun Sect territory; once we're discovered, we'll be surrounded immediately.

If a fight were to break out, it would be hard to say who would be surrounding whom.

Without external interference, and without any special methods within the Gui Yun Sect, it would be difficult to achieve anything significant.

Xiao Chen could fight three against one, and even if the patriarchs of the Jin and Gao Family Ling Gu Jin Family were included, he could still fight five against one without any pressure.

Even if Gui Yun Sect could produce special sect-protecting treasures like the Li Huo Divine Light Curse or even the Blazing Flame Warship.

He was also confident that he could leave safely.

Since he could come and go freely and there was no danger whatsoever, he naturally had nothing to be nervous about.

The two entered the tent together and saw the three True Lord of the Gui Yun Sect seated in a triangular formation.

The one leading them was none other than Gui Yun True Monarch, who was wearing a stern face at the moment.

However, his tone was rather gentle. "No need for formalities, please have a seat."

Xiao Chen bowed to Master Cai and then sat down on one of the small stools on the right.

"Young friend, are you Cai Youde?"

Caiyun True Monarch looked over with great interest, carefully examining him from head to toe. "The Cai Family can be considered a prominent clan in our blessed land."

"But in recent decades, I haven't heard much about any outstanding members of the Cai Family."

"Just the other day I was thinking, surely it can't be that in this generation we haven't even produced a single outstanding member of the family."

"Sure enough, so this is where it is."

The True Lord Lan Yun beside him also cast a scrutinizing glance.

Xiao Chen could also sense three different Divine Sense sweeping over him in turn, seemingly trying to directly probe his background.

However, their efforts were destined to be in vain.

With the help of Hextech, they don't have the ability to see through their disguise.

"True Lord flatter me, Your Excellency. My nephew has only a little talent, nothing to boast about."

Master Cai feigned modesty while actually boasting, saying, "It's nothing more than being diligent in my daily cultivation, being quite sensible, and willing to stay home and meditate in seclusion."

"So his Cultivation Realm is still quite pleasing, but it has also consumed a lot of spiritual resources in the house."

"This child has only one redeeming quality: he knows how to repay kindness."

"I received a few pointers from Senior Luo years ago, but it was actually heard indirectly, not spoken directly to my face."

"But I've always kept it in my heart, and I've never dared to forget it."

"After hearing about Senior Luo's passing a couple of days ago, he begged me to bring him out so he could offer incense and express his condolences."

Although the original plan has changed, since things have come to this point, we might as well go with the flow and introduce our False Identity.

Master Cai also emphasized the importance of gratitude.

This will also be a crucial feature going forward.

With such a personality, it would be easier for the Gui Yun Sect to accept the Cai Family family, and the possibility of another True Lord emerging to revitalize the Lineage might exist.

If they can continue to show clear hostility towards the other three factions, and friendliness towards the Gui Yun Sect.

They would most likely try to win them over beforehand, tacitly allowing the Cai Family to expand their businesses to a certain extent, and might even provide some conveniences.