Struggle for True Disciple

Hidden Lord removed his metal mask, revealing a gaunt face of a man in his forties, with temples reaching his shoulders. Gazing at the golden shimmering waves of the sea, his expression bitter, he said, "That day in the ruins of Dragon City, she almost revealed the secret of her survival, and thus could no longer remain in Lingxiao Shengjing."

"After we parted, she traveled north along the East China Sea. Perhaps she went to the Rainforest Realm north of the East China Sea, or perhaps she went to a more distant place."

"The world is vast, but danger lurks everywhere. Perhaps she will die far from home and never be heard from again. Or perhaps many years later, she will secretly return, like a weary traveler or a weathered and worn-out returnee. How many years later will that be?"

"If the God of Jiu Li were still alive, if the King Cang were still alive, if the leader were to regain his cultivation, perhaps everything would be different. Perhaps!"

Li Weiyi sensed the helplessness and pain in Hidden Lord's heart. "Don't be so pessimistic. Master Yao is Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator, shrewd and wise. Even in a dangerous place like the Lingxiao Dao Cult, she was able to sit in the position of Venerable. Perhaps it won't be long before she becomes Great Longevity Realm cultivator, or even transcends it, returning as a profound and unfathomable powerhouse, bringing us the joy of a long-awaited reunion."

Actually, he wasn't feeling good either.

Being forced to leave and leaving voluntarily are completely different.

Even the strongest heart can be tormented by loneliness. Even the most powerful cultivation can leave one severely injured and helpless.

Being alone and carefree is only temporary; hardship and wasted time are the long years ahead.

"That's all we can hope for!"

Hidden Lord forced a smile and sat up straight, "At least everything is moving in a positive direction. The leader has returned, Sui Sect and Coffin Mountain have been defeated, and the situation in Lizhou is stable."

"Cangli, Hidden Nine, Hidden Eleven, and Li Ling are all growing rapidly... By the way, what about Yao Yin? It's said that she ended up with you. Du'e Temple has sent people to ask her three times already."

"She?"

Li Weiyi and Hidden Lord traveled across the sea back to Moon Dragon Island.

Moon Dragon Island is relatively safe, as it is guarded by powerful members of the Flower Fairy clan who prohibit fighting and killing.

Hidden Lord and Hidden One were secretly meeting on a ship outside the island when they were ambushed and killed. The Hidden Gate Sect's stronghold on the island was not exposed.

Upon learning of Hidden One's tragic death, Hidden Lord fell silent, clearly having anticipated this outcome.

After landing on the island.

Li Weiyi pretended to pick up Yao Yin and Hidden Twenty-Four, found a secluded mirage alley, and released them from the Blood Mud Space.

"If you seal us away again without any reason and without a word of explanation, I'm going to get angry!" Hidden Twenty-Four said angrily, his eyes wide open.

Li Weiyi, seemingly indifferent, led the way, saying, "The Hidden Person don't need to explain themselves to the Hidden Ones. You'd better understand your place."

Hidden Twenty-Four looked at Yao Yin.

Yao Yin caught up with him. "We know you are hiding a great secret, but the Hermit would never betray the Hidden Person. You don't trust us at all."

Li Weiyi stopped in his tracks, his attitude towards Yao Yin completely different from that towards Hidden Twenty-Four. He smiled and said, "Hidden Twenty-Four's cultivation is too low, and he has no cunning. He is unreliable. However, if you become a true disciple of the Du'e Temple, I will tell you any secret you ask me."

"Real?"

Although Yao Yin's bright, beautiful eyes still held an angry expression, her heart had softened.

The anti-Li alliance, which had been agreed upon in advance with Hidden Twenty-Four, was instantly dismantled.

"Of course it's true."

Li Weiyi then asked, "Are you not angry anymore?"

"You think you can be so easily appeased? Unless you pass on to me the Bone Shifting God Changing Chapter..." Yao Yin raised her head, her eyes icy cold.

Before she could finish speaking, Li Weiyi agreed, "Okay!"

Yao Yin's icy eyes turned to surprise. She had only said it casually, but she hadn't expected him to agree so readily.

Li Weiyi knew the bloodshed and cruelty of the struggle for the Ancient Sect True Disciple, comparable to the position of the crown prince of a dynasty. He was worried about Yao Yin's safety at the Du'e Temple. Learning the Bone Shifting God Changing Chapter would increase his chances of survival.

Hidden Twenty-Four felt that Yao Yin was too spineless and was instantly manipulated again, so he said coldly, "I want to learn too."

Li Weiyi scolded, "What are you learning? Can you even understand it? You're just causing trouble!"

"I taught you your Disguise Art," said Hidden Twenty-Four.

Li Weiyi said, "If you don't teach, there are other Hidden Gate and reclusive teachers. Bone Shifting God Changing Chapter' is passed on to Yao Yin, she can compete for the true teachings of the Du'e Temple. If it's passed on to you, what can you compete for?"

Seeing the two start arguing again, Yao Yin quickly tried to mediate. Even she felt that Li Weiyi was being too biased, as if she were trying to sow discord between them.

"Yao Yin, I'm passing on the Bone Shifting God Changing Chapter to you; you are not allowed to pass it on to anyone else."

Li Weiyi walked towards the stronghold's gate first, thinking to himself, "They still want to unite and put pressure on me? I must break them up beforehand."

Hidden Lord watched the three of them from afar, feeling worried. When Li Weiyi approached, he transmitted a message to remind them, "Du'e Temple is, after all, Daoist lineage sect. The selection of true disciples has very high requirements regarding appearance. Yao Yin, you must restrain yourself before you take the position of true disciple."

"Yao Yin's image isn't good enough? She's definitely one of the top people in the Lingxiao Shengjing... What do you mean, old man?"

Li Weiyi stared blankly over there.

Hidden Lord nodded. "That's exactly what I meant."

Li Weiyi was speechless, feeling wronged and aggrieved. Not to mention the steps Hidden Lord had planned, he had never even properly touched Yao Yin's hand and had never had any impure thoughts.

"Greetings, Hidden Lord!"

Yao Yin and Hidden Twenty-Four had already entered, so the two of them couldn't say anything more.

Upon seeing Yao Yin, Hidden Lord finally emerged from his grief over Hidden One's death and smiled, "You've condensed the Dao Lotus, excellent! The clan has prepared enough Six-clawed Immortal Dragon Qi for you; you don't need to worry about resources before reaching the Longevity Realm. However, your path to becoming a true disciple will soon face its strongest competitor."

Yao Yin was not entirely manipulated like she was in front of Li Weiyi; she possessed her own integrity and was not weak. "I am not afraid of competition. What sense of accomplishment comes from something that is easily obtained?"

"Don't you want to know who that person is?" the Hidden Lord asked.

Yao Yin said, "Within a hundred years, only two people at the Du'e Temple have cultivated the Longevity Body and broken through to immortality. This opportunity in the East Sea may allow some Dao Seed Realm disciples to advance further, but the number of competitors will definitely not exceed five."

Yao Yin did not take every one of the Young Son of Heaven Dao Seed Realm in the past generations of the Du'e Temple seriously.

For example, Demon Child is not among the five people she mentioned.

"It's Zuoqiu Hongting," Hidden Lord said.

Li Weiyi and Yao Yin were both taken aback.

Hidden Lord said, "This is not my conjecture, but Zuoqiu Hongting said herself at a gathering before going to Du'e Temple. She claimed that her purpose in going to Du'e Temple was to seize the position of true successor. Cangli, Hidden Nine, Zhu Yibai, Tang Wanqiu, and others have also returned to Du'e Temple to cultivate."

"Li Weiyi, you should be aware of Zuoqiu Hongting's talent and intelligence."

"Now that the East Sea has undergone dramatic changes Immortal Dao Dragon Vein have been revived, the Du'e Temple needs to leverage the influence of the Zuoqiu Courtyard to exert its influence in the East Sea and seize profits and territory. Establishing her as the true disciple could very well be a condition proposed by the Zuoqiu Courtyard."

Li Weiyi said, "Is it because the emergence of the Hidden Ancestor and the return of the leader have made the Zuoqiu Courtyard feel that they can no longer control the Jiu Li Tribe, thus creating competition among allies?"

"Competition is everywhere! Isn't there competition even within the Jiu Li Tribe, and among the Hidden People?" Hidden Lord looked at Yao Yin.

Yao Yin regained her composure and said seriously, "If it's her, I will be even more motivated."

Li Weiyi took out the two petals of the Longevity Flower he had collected from underground in the East Sea and handed them to her. "There are only two petals. Whether you can cultivate Longevity Body depends entirely on yourself."

"Thank you Hidden Person! I, Yao Yin, will surely repay this favor," Yao Yin said.

"I've put it in your ledger!"

As dusk fell, the lanterns in the courtyard were lit.

Li Weiyi and Hidden Lord sat in the pavilion by the pond and talked. Hidden Twenty-Four brought over four small dishes and some rice wine.

"The Immortal Dao Dragon Vein have indeed revived, and nearly 30,000 miles of sea area are within their reach."

"Although the cultivation environment is good, it won't be peaceful for a long time to come. There will definitely be constant conflicts, with various forces vying for more benefits. I suggest you go back to Lizhou. It won't be too late to come back after things have stabilized here and you've established your sect."

Hidden Lord told Li Weiyi that the Jiu Li Tribe planned to establish the Nine Li Sect on the immortal Immortal Dao Dragon Vein of the East Sea, but the site selection was still underway.

"After the Great Palace Master appeared, the Three Island Barbarians and the Dragon Gate became like frightened birds, and they all fled, fearing retribution."

"The three islands are now occupied by the Dao Palace, the Du'e Temple, and the Lei Xiao Sect, respectively."

Li Weiyi, holding his wine glass, was slightly surprised. The three islands were three large islands, each capable of housing tens of millions of people, and they were also covered by Immortal Dao Dragon Vein: "Such a huge benefit, and it was actually taken by the Lei Xiao Sect?"

"The Lei Xiao Sect has received support from the Jellyfish Tribe, so they must have made some promises."

The Hidden Lord smiled and said, "The Xue Jian Tang Ting controls the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, the Zuoqiu Courtyard has conquered the Underground Immortal Mansion, and with one in heaven and one in earth, the Lei Xiao Sect is naturally unwilling to be left behind. The Imperial Court is in hiding; they are the three strongest forces in the Lingxiao Shengjing."

The Imperial Court went into hiding to avoid retaliation from Fei Feng and the Demon Kingdom, as well as from the enemies of Zen Sea Observing Mist from a thousand years ago.

Li Weiyi's heart stirred. "The Underground Immortal Mansion was conquered jointly by the Zuoqiu Courtyard and the Jiu Li Tribe. The Jiu Li Tribe should have received a considerable share of the territory, right? Old Li, send more people to excavate. There must be more Bright Star Book down there; those are the true treasures."

The Hidden Lord nodded, then sighed, "It's not that easy to dig it up. The Lingxiao Dao Cult has been digging for a thousand years and has only found nine pages. Why don't you go and oversee the Underground Immortal Mansion?"

"Whoosh!"

The night fog surged in rapidly, rushing into the stronghold and solidifying into Old Qin's gaunt figure.

Old Qin's expression was solemn, but when he saw Li Weiyi sitting in the pavilion, his face instantly lit up with joy. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "What exactly happened? I heard that something happened to the Hidden Gate? They say a battle between the Longevity Realm cultivators broke out at sea, and the Jiu Li Tribe suffered heavy casualties."

Hidden Lord and Li Weiyi stood up to greet him, the former saying, "It's already resolved! How did you find out so quickly? Were you nearby the whole time?"

Old Qin had come from the Sentinel Spirit Army's outpost on Moon Dragon Island. Not wanting to explain to Hidden Lord, he gave a vague answer. Then, his gaze fell on Li Weiyi, and he asked, "Where is the Great Palace Master?"

Hidden Lord was also curious about this question. However, he felt that someone like the Great Palace Master wouldn't reveal his whereabouts to Li Weiyi, a junior, so he refrained from asking.