Lin Su had already arrived before the thatched cottage ahead.
The dilapidated wooden door before him looked ready to collapse; a mere outstretched hand could have pushed it open. Yet he did not reach out, only stood there watching quietly.
"Though Lord Lin bears the imperial mandate and wields imperial authority, did your elders never tell you that one must show three parts respect to seniors on the Cultivation Way?"
A low voice came from within the thatched cottage.
Lin Su smiled faintly. "My elders told me that if I chose imperial authority, then imperial authority stood above all. I was not to be bound by certain rules of the martial world."
"Imperial authority above all!" The person in the cottage spoke coolly. "What decree does His Majesty have?"
"His Majesty said that upon arriving at Haoyuan Sect, I must meet Senior face-to-face and offer a cup of humble wine, to demonstrate His Majesty's respect."
"Haha..." The person inside laughed loudly. "His Majesty truly respects the aged and honors the worthy. Lord Lin, please report to His Majesty that this old man is withered grass and rotten wood, unworthy of such profound favor..."
Before he finished speaking, Lin Su stretched out his hand and pushed open the cottage door.
The voice within abruptly stopped.
The two of them now faced each other.
The true appearance of this secluded cultivator was revealed before Lin Su.
He did not resemble an old man who had lived for a thousand years in the slightest. He was tall and slender, with refined features and not a wrinkle on his face. He looked no older than thirty or forty. His three wisps of long beard drifted elegantly, lending him even more scholarly grace rather than making him seem old.
"Lord Lin's attainments in formations are