Please, You Must Join Our Sect!

When he saw it in the heart of Cloud City—a hundred-zhang-tall humanoid statue carved in Li Yan's likeness—

Several large characters were engraved on the stone tablet beneath it.

[Cloud City's First Generation Holy Lord—Li Yan.]

Well...

Well...

Li Yan's feelings were a tangled mess. He did not know whether to laugh or... laugh.

He had no idea whether it was Longyue's or Jin Mie's disciple who had erected his statue in the heart of Cloud City, where it received worship from all directions.

As Li Yan was caught between laughter and tears, Zhang Jiu patted him on the shoulder.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you only arrived in Cloud City yesterday. You probably don't know the story behind this, do you?"

"It is said that more than thirty thousand years ago, Saint Li Yan suppressed the Ancient God Bloodline Emperor."

"By himself, he rescued the Moonlight Sword Sect's sect master, the Moonlight Sword Immortal."

"The master of Heavenly Pivot Hall, the Ember Extinguishing Immortal."

"And the Dragon Tiger Immortal Venerable of Dragon Tiger Mountain!"

"It was precisely because Saint Li Yan stepped forward that Cloud City came to be—the sole paradise amid these troubled times, the last blessed land of spiritual energy for cultivators."

It sounded as though history had changed quite a bit.

Yet hearing later generations comment on what he had done back then gave him a most peculiar feeling.

How should he put it?

When he heard those descendants call him a saint and sing his praises, even with Li Yan's thick skin, his old face could not help flushing.

Especially since Zhang Jiu had no idea that he was Li Yan from thirty thousand years ago—the saint they spoke of, Cloud City's First Generation Holy Lord.

After talking for quite a while, Zhang Jiu looked at Li Yan. "Fellow Daoist Li, you already look exactly like the First Generation Holy Lord, and you even share his exact name."

"Isn't that far too much of a coincidence?"

Hearing Zhang Jiu say that, Li Yan gave an awkward laugh.

"Brother Zhang, you know I'm from elsewhere, not a local."

"I have no idea how there could be such a coincidence in this world, either."

As Li Yan laughed dryly, Zhang Jiu stroked his chin in thought. "Yes, how could there be such a coincidence?"

The more he looked, the more he felt that Li Yan was Cloud City's First Generation Holy Lord.

They looked as though they had been cast from the same mold.

"Fellow Daoist Li, could you be..."

Zhang Jiu pointed at Li Yan. After holding those words in for a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"But how could that be possible? The First Generation Holy Lord Li Yan was a saint from more than thirty thousand years ago."

"It is said that he was an immortal descended from the White Jade Capital, with an endless lifespan, as eternal as heaven and earth."

"How could a Golden Core Stage Rogue Cultivator like you possibly be that immortal's reincarnation?"

"I was overthinking it. Hahahaha!"

Zhang Jiu shook his head repeatedly, feeling that his own thought had been far too fantastical.

How could the Li Yan before him possibly be that saint from thirty thousand years ago? Absolutely impossible.

Li Yan laughed dryly as well. "If I were that saint, would I still be standing here chatting with Brother Li?"

Zhang Jiu slapped his thigh and said with a laugh.

"Exactly! If you were the First Generation Holy Lord, then I, Zhang Jiu, would be the reincarnation of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Venerable!"

Mm...

Nothing wrong with that.

Zhang Jiu truly was the reincarnation of the Dragon Tiger Immortal Venerable.

As the two stood chatting in the street, several cultivators clad in black robes, with Heavenly Pivot Hall jade plaques hanging from their waists, came before them.

The black-robed men cupped their hands respectfully.

"Sir, are you Li Yan?"

Seeing their respectful attitude, and knowing one did not strike a smiling face, Li Yan nodded.

"I am."

The black-robed cultivators became even more respectful. "Lord Li Yan, the master of Heavenly Pivot Hall invites you. Please make a trip to the western district."

The master of Heavenly Pivot Hall?

That would be the disciple-descendants of the Ember Extinguishing Immortal—also his, Li Yan's, disciple-descendants.

While the black-robed cultivators kept their heads lowered, they secretly glanced at Li Yan.

Similar—far too similar!

This young man before them looked far too much like Cloud City's First Generation Holy Lord.

Li Yan could not readily refuse the invitation. After all, he had already been inside the city when he awoke.

If he refused now, it might instead stir up unnecessary trouble.

Since even the master of Heavenly Pivot Hall had sent for him, Li Yan agreed.

"Gentlemen, lead the way."

"Sir, this way!"

"We have already prepared an Immortal Sedan for you."

As Zhang Jiu stared in dumbfounded shock, the cultivators of Heavenly Pivot Hall invited Li Yan into the Immortal Sedan.

"Hold it!"

On the other side, a group of white-robed female cultivators descended from the sky atop flying swords, blocking the Immortal Sedan.

They directly declared their identities. "I am the Great Elder of the Moonlight Sword Sect."

"This fellow Daoist is a guest of our Sword Sect. Our sect master requests his presence!"

Seeing cultivators from the two great sects, one in black and one in white, both arriving to invite Li Yan away—

Li Yan did not know how to respond. He had now returned to reality; this place was no dream.

He did not wish to make matters worse, but the situation was already beyond his control.

The two sides had already drawn their swords and set their bows.

The black-robed cultivators of Heavenly Pivot Hall drew their sabers. "What are you doing? He is someone our Heavenly Pivot Hall has set its sights on. Do you people from the Sword Sect intend to snatch him away too?"

"Heh, this man shares the First Generation Holy Lord's exact name and looks exactly like him."

"Our Sword Sect's founding ancestor, the Moonlight Sword Immortal, was the First Generation Holy Lord's foremost senior disciple!"

"This Fellow Daoist Li ought to come with our Sword Sect."

Hearing this, the black-robed cultivators sneered.

"I think, Great Elder, that you are simply spreading rumors."

"The foremost senior disciple of the First Generation Holy Lord Li Yan was clearly our founding ancestor, the Ember Extinguishing Immortal Venerate."

"This Fellow Daoist Li should go to Heavenly Pivot Hall."

At this moment, Li Yan had no idea how he was supposed to explain this.

Back when he had accepted disciples, he had never decided who would be the senior sister and who would be the Junior Sister.

He had merely wanted Longyue and Jin Mie to compete, with the winner becoming the senior sister.

How was it that, after more than thirty thousand years, they still had not determined a victor?

To the point that thirty thousand years later, their disciple-descendants were still fighting over who was Li Yan's foremost senior disciple.

This...

Inside the Immortal Sedan, Li Yan watched as the situation was about to spiral out of control.

He could not help speaking up. "Ladies, what exactly are you trying to fight over?"

The moment Li Yan spoke, both factions turned around, cupped their hands with both hands, and answered respectfully.

"Fellow Daoist, you have already seen the statue in the city."

"You look exactly like Li Yan, Cloud City's First Generation Holy Lord."

"And you even share his exact name."

The two leading elders spoke in unison.

"No matter what, our sect master (hall master) wishes to accept you as a disciple. Please, you must join our Sword Sect (Heavenly Pivot Hall)."

Now he understood. They thought Li Yan looked like "Li Yan" and wanted to invite him into their sect.

In other words—

His identity had not been exposed. Everyone merely believed that he happened to look like him.

After all, no one would suspect that he, Li Yan, really was Li Yan.

Mm...

Unless Li Yan proved that he was himself, they would all treat him as someone resembling the Holy Lord.

For no other reason than that the Sword Sect and Heavenly Pivot Hall had to settle who stood higher.

Someone like Li Yan, who looked like their founding ancestor, had to be snatched up and brought back to one sect or the other.

As both sides remained locked in a stalemate, two voices sounded from opposite directions.

"Moonlight Sword Sect—Sect Master arriving!"

"Heavenly Pivot Hall—Hall Master arriving!"