The Human Sect's Invitation

The phenomenon caused by Li Qingxu lasted for several hours.

Only when the phenomenon dissipated and the enormous wheel phantom above the Three Pure Ones Hall vanished did he open his eyes.

Before listening to the Dao, his cultivation was only a step away from the Golden Immortal realm. During these three hundred years of listening, he had gained immensely, but his own Dao had not yet been fully understood, leaving him stuck at a bottleneck.

Now, with the bottleneck broken, his cultivation erupted from accumulated momentum, reaching the Mid Stage of Golden Immortal in one go, and even nearing the late Golden Immortal stage.

Feeling the aura Li Qingxu now exuded, Winged Immortal and the others who had mocked him earlier felt their faces burning as if slapped.

Grand Master Xuandu, however, looked at Li Qingxu with a complex expression.

When Primordial Heavenly Venerate and Tongtian Cult Master had taken disciples earlier, Taiqing Laozi had mentioned to him that Primordial Heavenly Venerate had accepted a Human Race disciple at only the Mid Stage of Heavenly Immortal.

At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, merely considering Li Qingxu a lucky fellow clansman.

But now, just as he had broken through to the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage, Li Qingxu had risen from Mid Stage Heavenly Immortal to Mid Stage Golden Immortal—a leap of two entire major realms!

Such a rapid cultivation speed made even him feel a faint sense of urgency.

Besides Grand Master Xuandu, Guangchengzi also felt the pressure.

He had believed that with his foundation and cultivation, the position of Chan Sect's chief personal disciple was already his for the taking, even subconsciously considering himself the Eldest Senior Brother of the Chan Sect.

Li Qingxu's performance, however, made him feel his position was threatened.

Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Li Qingxu cleared his throat twice, straightened up, and respectfully bowed to Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Tongtian Cult Master:

"Thank you, Senior Grand Master, Master, and Martial Uncle, for teaching this disciple the Dao."

Taiqing Laozi nodded faintly, a trace of warmth in his eyes:

"Qingxu, This one is the Lord of the Human Sect. As a member of the Human Race, are you willing to join the Human Sect and become This one's disciple?"

As a Heavenly Dao Saint, Taiqing Laozi naturally saw that Li Qingxu's foundation had transformed again and that he seemed to have comprehended a special Fate Law.

With Li Qingxu's current foundation, insight, and his own abilities, if Li Qingxu transferred to his tutelage, he was confident in training him to surpass Zhen Yuanzi and Patriarch Styx, becoming the foremost under the Saints.

Before Li Qingxu could respond, Primordial Heavenly Venerate frowned slightly:

"Elder Brother, Li Qingxu has already entered This one's sect. How can he switch masters?"

Taiqing Laozi laughed heartily, stroking his beard: "Second Brother, you are mistaken."

"We both belong to Xuanmen and are blood brothers. Why draw such a clear line?"

"Moreover, This one is the Lord of the Human Sect. Since Li Qingxu is of the Human Race, joining the Human Sect is only natural."

With that, he turned his gaze back to Li Qingxu, expectation in his eyes:

"Li Qingxu, what do you think?"

"If you agree, you will be This one's second personal disciple."

At Taiqing Laozi's words, Grand Master Xuandu's expression shifted slightly, and his fist clenched unconsciously within his sleeve.

Guangchengzi maintained a calm facade, but his heart skipped a beat.

Grand Master Xuandu feared that Li Qingxu joining the Human Sect would affect his standing with Taiqing Laozi.

Guangchengzi, on the other hand, hoped Li Qingxu would take the opportunity to join the Human Sect, leaving no one to compete with him for the Chan Sect's Eldest Senior Brother position.

As for the other disciples of the Chan and Jie sects, they were shaken, never expecting Taiqing Laozi to change his mind and personally invite Li Qingxu to join the Human Sect.

After all, Taiqing Laozi was the foremost of the Six Sages, skilled in alchemy, artifact forging, and formation layout, wielding the Taiji Diagram and the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda, two Supreme Treasures, with cultivation far surpassing other Saints.

Moreover, Taiqing Laozi currently had only Grand Master Xuandu as a disciple. If Li Qingxu transferred to the Human Sect, the resources he could obtain would surely far exceed those in the Chan Sect.

Li Qingxu bowed deeply to Taiqing Laozi: "Senior Grand Master's kindness, this disciple will always remember."

"But as the saying goes, 'A teacher for a day is a father for life.' Since Master accepted me as a disciple and taught me the Dao, Qingxu is a member of the Chan Sect, never to change for eternity."

Li Qingxu's words were calm, but each syllable was firm, without a hint of hesitation.

He refused so resolutely for two reasons. First, he was truly grateful to Primordial Heavenly Venerate.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate, who valued foundation so highly, had still accepted him—then only a mid-grade Innate Being with Heavenly Immortal cultivation—as a personal disciple, teaching him the Dao and warning him not to stray.

Second, Taiqing Laozi adhered to the path of Pure and Non-Action.

If he joined the Human Sect, Taiqing Laozi might later prevent him from intervening in Human Race affairs.

Seeing Li Qingxu's steadfast refusal, Primordial Heavenly Venerate breathed a silent sigh of relief, his eyes filled with approval.

Now, Li Qingxu had an exceptional foundation, remarkable insight, a firm Dao Heart, and valued loyalty—truly a promising talent.

If not for the fact that Li Qingxu's cultivation still lagged slightly behind Guangchengzi and Jade Cauldron True Man, making it hard to command universal respect, he would have considered appointing him as the Chan Sect's chief disciple, the one to inherit his legacy.

Taiqing Laozi, seeing Li Qingxu's refusal, showed a flicker of regret in his eyes, but quickly regained composure. He said no more, merely nodding slightly to respect Li Qingxu's choice.

As for the other disciples of the Chan and Jie sects, some admired Li Qingxu's loyalty, while others thought him foolish for missing a clearly better opportunity.

"Though you have each gained something from three hundred years of listening to the Dao, upon returning to your dojos, you must still diligently comprehend and cultivate to fully integrate the Dao we have taught."

Taiqing Laozi's gaze swept across the whole place as he instructed the disciples.

"Yes!"

The disciples all bowed in salute, and Taiqing Laozi immediately followed up with another bombshell announcement.

"Five hundred years from now, the Three Religions—Human, Chan, and Jie—will hold the Xuanmen Dao Discussion Conference at Kirin Cliff. All disciples may engage in sparring and competition."

"The final victor shall be named the head of the Xuanmen Third Generation disciples."

As Taiqing Laozi's words fell, a glint of sharp light flashed in the eyes of Guangchengzi, Grand Master Xuandu, and others—clearly, they were filled with longing for this status.

Meanwhile, a faint smile appeared on Duobao Daoist's face, as if he were already certain of victory.

He had taken Tongtian Cult Master as his teacher before he Proved the Dao and Became a Saint, and now possessed the cultivation of the Mid Stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal, along with various powerful Innate Spiritual Treasures.

In his view, Guangchengzi and Grand Master Xuandu posed little threat to him.

This position of Xuanmen Third Generation Eldest Senior Brother was already his for the taking.

Although Li Qingxu's cultivation temporarily lagged behind Duobao Daoist, Guangchengzi, Grand Master Xuandu, and others, he too felt a stirring eagerness in his heart.

He knew that Primordial Heavenly Venerate valued face and reputation. With his current cultivation, he could not repay his Master's kindness in imparting the Dao through other means. If he could become the head of the Xuanmen Third Generation disciples, it would surely bring glory to his Master.

Moreover, in the future, he would need to stop the Demon Race from slaughtering humans and travel the Primordial World, using his past-life memories to seize the initiative and harvest opportunities.

Having the title of Xuanmen Third Generation Eldest Senior Brother on him would add an extra layer of protection for his future actions.

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