True Lord Tianji had undergone a drastic change in temperament lately, locking himself inside his Cave Mansion and never stepping beyond its gates.
Even when he occasionally came out, he wore a stern face, looking at everyone as though they owed him money.
By now, it had already been two months since he last went out.
Tianji Peak cultivated the Heavenly Secrets and crossed Karma.
All Tianji Peak disciples dabbled in the path of Heavenly Secrets.
Almost everyone held a whisk, wore Daoist robes, and walked with their heads swaying, like terrestrial immortals.
"Boundless Heavenly Venerate!"
"Master, what exactly happened to him?"
A young man looked at the tightly shut Cave Mansion doors, frowning in confusion.
"Ever since he returned from the Blood Demon Clan secret realm over three months ago, he has completely changed."
"He used to be a living, breathing Wuliang old Daoist, always teasing his junior brothers and sisters with his words."
"But now, not only does he never leave, even when he goes out once after many days, he keeps frowning."
"Even when the pretty female disciples he usually liked speak to him, he ignores them completely."
"Could he be sick?"
The young man was True Lord Tianji's direct eldest disciple, Li Duxiu.
On the surface, he had already reached Perfection Level Purple Mansion Realm cultivation and was the Senior Disciple Brother of everyone on Tianji Peak.
Now that his master had shut himself away, while the elders and martial uncles of Tianji Peak had thrown themselves wholeheartedly into cultivation,
all the sect duties assigned by the sects had been shoved onto him.
It was giving Li Duxiu a colossal headache!
Li Duxiu also wanted to cultivate. Otherwise, if his junior brothers and sisters surpassed him, would that not be terribly humiliating?
At the very least, he needed to pretend to break through a little on the surface.
But now, he simply had no time.
"Senior Brother."
A woman in Daoist robes walked over. She was delicate and lovely, with a string of prayer beads in hand. Smiling faintly, she said,
"Master still refuses to come out?"
She was True Lord Tianji's second disciple, Ouyang Luoqing.
Li Duxiu shook his head and sighed. Then, he suddenly looked at Ouyang Luoqing. "You broke through to Perfection Level Purple Mansion Realm?"
"I just broke through yesterday. After stabilizing my cultivation a little, I came to see Master today."
Ouyang Luoqing smiled softly. Her facial features were small and exquisite, and her smile was wonderfully soothing.
"It seems Junior Sister has still caught up to me. This senior brother of yours needs to work harder."
Li Duxiu smiled bitterly. Ouyang Luoqing was several years younger than him, yet her realm had already caught up with his.
"It's fine. It's only on the surface anyway, right?"
"Junior Sister does not know how much Senior Brother has hidden!"
"Anyway, Junior Sister herself has not hidden anything at all."
Ouyang Luoqing spoke sincerely. Coupled with her delicate little face, it was easy for people to believe her.
But as Tianji Peak's Senior Disciple Brother, Li Duxiu was extraordinarily shrewd and had inherited True Lord Tianji's teachings deeply. How could he possibly be fooled?
As for Ouyang Luoqing's words, they went in one ear and out the other.
Across the entire Kaoshan Sect, anyone who claimed they had hidden nothing was spouting nonsense!
They were telling blatant lies with their eyes wide open.
Yet even so, no one cared.
As long as you refused to admit it, there was nothing anyone could do to you.
"I see that Master is gloomy and burdened by worries. If this continues, he may develop inner demons, and a major disaster could arise!"
Li Duxiu said worriedly.
Ouyang Luoqing said, "I went to ask around at the other peaks. Master's state may be related to several other Peak Masters, especially Enemy God Peak Master."
"What do you mean?"
Li Duxiu had not had time to investigate himself. All of Tianji Peak's trivial affairs were weighing on him now, and he could not spare a moment.
"Master went with the Sect Master, several Peak Master martial uncles, and Mysterious River Martial Uncle Ancestor to suppress the Blood Demon Clan."
"Every one of them displayed great divine might and revealed a little of the strength they had hidden."
"Master seemed unable to match the other Peak Master martial uncles, so..."
Li Duxiu understood. "He got emotional?"
Ouyang Luoqing nodded and said,
"Only when Master's realm catches up to those martial uncles might he step out of the Cave Mansion. Otherwise, I fear it will be difficult to see him anytime soon."
Li Duxiu turned his head and looked toward the other main peaks. Helplessly, he said, "It seems Master appears to be the most calculating on the surface, but is actually the most innocent."
"Indeed."
Ouyang Luoqing nodded with a sigh. Those Peak Master martial uncles were grinding far too hard.
They had struck Master down like this.
Especially Martial Uncle Enemy God. She had heard that Master had angrily cursed him for a long time, calling him a sultry, repressed man.
"Humph!"
Suddenly, the Cave Mansion doors opened. True Lord Tianji emerged with a stern face, looked at the two of them, and rebuked,
"Am I the kind of petty person you think I am?"
"Do not listen to other people's nonsense."
"Getting emotional because I could not out-grind the other Peak Masters is completely fabricated. Nothing of the sort happened!"
"Do not bring it up again!"
Li Duxiu and Ouyang Luoqing's expressions turned solemn. They nodded and said, "Understood, Master. The others are all talking nonsense. Master is merely in low spirits and entered seclusion to calm his mind."
"Correct."
True Lord Tianji nodded, expressionless, but inwardly he began cursing again.
Heavenly Venerate damn it, just you wait! If I do not grind you all to death, then I am not Hong Qitian!
"Remember your master's words. Do not let your thoughts run wild. Cultivate properly."
"Remember, you must cultivate well. Do not let the direct disciples of the other peaks surpass you."
"Your master is going to Dao Origin Peak. I will be back soon."
True Lord Tianji flicked his sleeve. A cloud appeared beneath his feet, carrying him into the sky and flying toward Dao Origin Peak.
"Master still cares so much about saving face."
Ouyang Luoqing smiled softly. She exchanged a glance with Li Duxiu, and they shook their heads helplessly at the same time.
Their master's mouth was the hardest thing about him from head to toe!
Li Duxiu looked in the direction of Dao Origin Peak and said, "Master will probably return disappointed again after going to see Dao Origin Peak Master this time."
True Lord Tianji had rarely gone out over the past few months, but every time he did, he almost always went to Dao Origin Peak.
However, True Lord Dao Origin had been away for more than three months and had yet to return to the sect.
"Dao Origin Peak has deep foundations and left behind many good things. Master is probably hoping to mooch something."
Ouyang Luoqing said.
Dao Origin Peak was Kaoshan Peak's foremost peak. Every generation of the Hua Family's ancestors had been a peerless genius, but they were extremely strange and never accepted disciples.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, they seemed afflicted by an illness. Most lived only several hundred years, dying young in the prime of life.
No one knew how many sect disciples had lamented this.
If every generation of the Hua Family's ancestors had lived long lives, the Kaoshan Sect's current strength might have rivaled an ordinary Holy Land Level Force!
"Martial Uncle Grandfather Tianji, Master truly has not returned. There is no use forcing me."
At the foot of Dao Origin Peak, True Lord Tianji stood there.
Before him, Ye Bufan explained with a face on the verge of tears.
This Martial Uncle Grandfather Tianji had come several times, all because of his master.
But his master had been away for more than three months and had not returned yet, so each visit had ended without result.
He had come again today. No matter how Ye Bufan explained, Martial Uncle Grandfather Tianji refused to believe him and insisted on entering Dao Origin Peak to see for himself.
"This Seat is not making things difficult for you."
"Whether your master is here or not, This Seat will know once I go in and take a look."
True Lord Tianji was growing anxious. He could wait no longer.
Heaven knew whether those old fellows had made progress during these past three months.
At any rate, he had not.
That was why he was so eager to see Hua Yunfei, hoping to get some good things from this martial nephew so that his cultivation could improve.
Ye Bufan said helplessly, "My master said that without his permission, no one else is allowed to enter the mountain."
"Martial Uncle Grandfather, if you insist on entering, I fear you will not even make it to the mountaintop."
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