The Elder Group Climbs Ghost's Worry

Tang San was already twenty-nine this year.

He was very satisfied with everything he had now.

With Senior Brother Li Yue backing him, he had become the Tang Sect's Outer Sect Supervisor, overseeing hidden weapons.

His status in the outer sect was second only to Elder Tang Lan. It could be said that he stood beneath one man and above ten thousand.

Under Senior Brother Li Yue's guidance, he had learned every technique in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, even the supreme inner cultivation art, the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

What delighted him even more was that he had recreated the pinnacle of the Tang Sect outer sect's hidden weapons—the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus.

This was the Tang Lotus's first reappearance in two hundred years.

When word spread that Tang San had recreated the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, the entire Tang Sect was shaken.

Mister Tang had even discussed making an exception to promote Tang San to Inner Disciple status with the Inner Sect Elders.

Tang San believed that everything that had happened to him stemmed from a single sentence Senior Brother Li Yue had spoken more than a decade ago: "Tang San, you will be the Outer Sect Supervisor."

Thinking back on it, it still felt like a dream. Who would have thought that after one argument with an Inner Disciple, he would earn Senior Brother Li Yue's favor?

Who would have thought he could recreate the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, something that had existed only in Tang Sect legends?

"The atmosphere in the inner sect is a little off today."

Ever since cultivating the Purple Extreme Demonic Eyes, Tang San's spiritual senses had grown sharper and sharper. He could sense that the inner sect was unusually quiet today.

That was highly abnormal, because at this hour, the Tang Sect's inner disciples would usually have risen and begun preparing to cultivate the Purple Extreme Demonic Eyes.

Tang San waited outside the entrance to Senior Brother Li Yue's courtyard.

This was a habit he had developed over many years. Every day before dawn, he would wait here and go with Senior Brother Li Yue to Ghost's Worry to practice the Purple Extreme Demonic Eyes.

"Morning, Little San."

Li Yue opened the door and walked out of his courtyard. Today was a special day, and he had decided to go to his death.

Over more than a decade, he had continuously improved the techniques in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record and drawn nourishment from the secret manuals in the Scripture Library.

He had honed the Lingbo Step, Bei Ming Hand, and Star Sucking Pupil to an extreme level.

As for the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the core of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, it had undergone some kind of transformation through day after day of cultivation on the Ice Bed.

Simply circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill allowed him to maintain a state of mind where "the heart was as clear as ice, unmoved even if the heavens collapsed," which greatly aided his cultivation.

Perhaps this transformed Mysterious Heaven Skill could now be called—the Xuanxin Gong.

Li Yue had now cultivated to a point where he could advance no further. This did not mean he had reached the ultimate limit of cultivation.

Rather, continuing to cultivate would no longer bring much improvement.

It was like a tree planted in a flowerpot. Once it reached a certain size, it needed to be transplanted into a larger pot or into the earth, or else it would never grow any bigger.

It was not that there was no room for improvement. The world itself had limited him. The mystery of this martial arts world had faded, and it was gradually entering the End of Dharma Era.

It was time for an ultimate leap, to go to Douluo Continent and achieve deeper growth.

Then the sky would be high enough for birds to soar, and the sea broad enough for fish to leap.

"Morning, Senior Brother."

Upon seeing Senior Brother Li Yue emerge, Tang San respectfully greeted him, just as he had more than a decade ago.

More than ten years had not diminished the gratitude Tang San felt toward Senior Brother Li Yue. After serving as the outer sect's supervisor for so many years, he had seen far too many young people.

Some had talent, some wisdom, some natural gifts.

Yet in the end, they all faded into obscurity in the outer sect.

Among all those people, there had only been one as fortunate as him—himself.

After an argument with an Inner Disciple, he had luckily encountered Senior Brother Li Yue, gained his trust, and been taught the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

The more Tang San cultivated this secret art that the Tang Sect never passed down, the more deeply profound he found it.

This was the grace of being taught the Way. Though it was not permitted by Tang Sect rules, Senior Brother Li Yue had still taught it to him.

Therefore, he would not be loyal to the Tang Sect. He would only be loyal to Senior Brother Li Yue.

Seeing that Senior Brother Li Yue looked just as he had when they first met—

Tang San froze for a moment. Ever since taking charge of the outer sect's hidden weapons, he had devoted himself to the great undertaking of recreating the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus.

He had never noticed that Senior Brother Li Yue still looked exactly as he had when they first met.

Was Senior Brother Li Yue some divine being? Or perhaps an immortal?

After his surprise faded, Tang San understood that Senior Brother Li Yue had cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record to an unfathomably profound realm.

One that allowed him to retain his youth forever.

Atop Ghost's Worry, the fierce wind howled.

Gazing toward the distant horizon, Li Yue sighed. "The wind is especially clamorous today."

Yet the mountain winds atop Ghost's Worry were always this biting. How could they be more clamorous today than usual?

Since it was not the wind that was clamorous—

Then it had to be people who sensed the clamor.

Seventeen figures, ghostly as phantoms, flickered up from the mountainside toward the summit.

These seventeen figures represented the highest authority and status within the Tang Sect.

The white robes represented the inner sect, while the golden "Tang" embroidered upon them represented elder status.

All seventeen Inner Sect Elders of the Tang Sect had arrived, including the Tang Sect's leader, Mister Tang.

Even the youngest among these seventeen was over fifty, while the oldest had lived for more than one hundred and twenty years.

Even if the Six Great Sects besieged the Tang Sect, these elders might not all mobilize.

Who knew what matter had brought them here together?

When Tang San saw the Inner Sect Elders arrive, his heart tightened. Could it be that his secret had been exposed?

Li Yue, on the other hand, remained very calm.

He was the one who had found a way to reveal the secret himself, letting these elders learn that he had privately taught the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

And in order to avoid the effect of his own status—

Fearing that these elders would only hunt down Tang San while sparing him, he had even used the Karma System.

By settling all karma, he influenced these elders so they could bring themselves to strike without mercy.

More than a decade ago, Li Yue had already taught these elders the method of cultivating on the Ice Bed.

Having obtained the Ice Bed cultivation method, the elders treasured it like a priceless jewel and cultivated on Ice Beds every day.

Now, half—or even the greater part—of these elders' inner power came from the Ice Bed cultivation method.

If Li Yue had not been kind enough to settle all karma so readily and use it only to kill himself—it was like buying something worth a hundred coins but paying ten thousand for it.

Otherwise, he would only need to tell the system that he wanted inner power, and all the inner power these elders had cultivated through the Ice Bed method would belong to Li Yue.

That was far faster than using the Bei Ming Hand to absorb power, and there was no need to refine it afterward.

Aside from thanking the Tang Sect for providing such an excellent environment for him to cultivate martial arts, Li Yue had shared the Ice Bed cultivation method in order to form karma with the elders.

That was why seventeen elders were now here to gang up on him.

Otherwise, the outcome would have been difficult to predict.

Perhaps, considering Tang San's merit in creating the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus—

They might have kept the matter secret, promoted Tang San to Inner Disciple status, and instead killed the informant.

Or perhaps they might have killed Tang San.

After all, once he had created the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, its craftsmanship had fallen into the Tang Sect's hands. In other words, Tang San was no longer useful.

They had already been troubled over whether to promote Tang San to Inner Disciple status.

With this incident, they could conveniently discard the bow once the birds were gone, and cook the dog once the rabbit was dead.

Yet whether Tang San was killed or rewarded—

Nothing would happen to Li Yue. That was the disparity brought by status.

When a prince broke the law, he was as guilty as a commoner.

But the same guilt did not bring the same punishment.

When Wei Yang reformed the laws, the crown prince broke the law, so his tutor Gongzi Qian was punished and his teacher Gongsun Jia was branded.

The crown prince himself, however, suffered nothing at all.

But under the Karma System's influence, surrounded by the attack of these seventeen elders—

Today, Li Yue was certain to die.