Hewi Ancestral Patriarch's answer was truly exasperating—you actually forgot there was an ancestor in seclusion?
But on second thought, it was understandable. Jiuling had been in seclusion for two thousand years. If it had been thirty, fifty, or even several hundred years, perhaps someone would still remember him. But two thousand years... people who could think of him in time were genuinely rare.
Moreover, although Hewi had been entrusted with the matter, he was already a Fusion Primarch himself and had many things to worry about. Though Jiuling's seniority was somewhat higher, he was ultimately only attempting to reach the Body Integration Stage. He was not worth Hewi's undivided attention.
Of course, the key point was that Jiuling had not told Hewi how to enter the Secret Realm!
What Jiuling had been thinking at the time could no longer be verified, but everyone could roughly guess his mindset: the people he trusted most were his own disciples!
Strictly speaking, Hewi could be considered half his disciple, but he was not a direct disciple. Naturally, crucial matters had to be entrusted to direct disciples.
More importantly, Hewi had already been at the Body Integration Stage then. Not only did he have boundless prospects, but his cultivation had already surpassed Jiuling's, placing him high above. If Jiuling had entrusted the matter to him, it would have been somewhat... inappropriate.
Thus, Jiuling told his own disciple how to enter the Secret Realm and did not tell anyone else.
But fundamentally, he had still been willing to trust Hewi, so he chose Hewi as a fallback—my disciples' cultivation is not very high, so if something unexpected happens, you must lend them a hand.
Hewi did not refuse this request. It had originally been an obligation he should fulfill, and in fact, he felt Jiuling's