"Good heavens! The Protector Chang of the Reincarnation Pavilion?" Just then, an old man's startled cry rang out. Following the sound, they saw a short, white-robed old man approaching.
In the blink of an eye, the white-robed old man came trotting over to stand before Li Zhōujūn and Cháng Yì. He bowed and scraped as he said, "I am He Jixiong, the elder who was on duty at the Hidden Immortal Sect that day. Greetings to you, esteemed guests. You came from so far away—how could you not give us a heads-up?"
Li Zhōujūn glanced at He Jixiong's cultivation. He was at the Eternal Realm Fourth Stage, on the same level as Lei Dahan, who had previously accompanied Gu Jingxiang.
"The disciples guarding your Hidden Immortal Sect's gate are all at the Eternity Third Stage. Yet you're only at the Eternal Fourth Stage and already an elder?" Cháng Yì muttered.
He Jixiong's expression turned awkward at those words.
At the Hidden Immortal Sect, Outer Disciples generally had the Eternal First Stage cultivation.
Inner Disciples had the Eternity Second Stage cultivation.
True Disciples had the Eternity Third Stage cultivation. Some outstanding True Disciples had even reached the Eternal Fourth Stage, making them no weaker than many of the Hidden Immortal Sect's elders—Lei Dahan, for example.
The elders of the Hidden Immortal Sect were all at the level of the Eternal Fourth to Fifth Stage.
Originally, the Hidden Immortal Sect had only Outer Disciples guarding the gate, along with an almost never-present elder on duty.
But after Young Master Zhao, Zhao Wuhua, came to their Hidden Immortal Sect, the sect had shown its respect by replacing the gatekeepers with one True Disciple leading three Inner Disciples, plus an elder who remained steadfastly at his post around the clock.
"Brother Li, by the