Yuan Xin knew very well that, back then, in order to find suitable disciples to pass down the Dao to—or perhaps for some other reason—the teacher had taught many students after leaving the sect.
Since these disciples had been able to enter under the teacher and study the Dao, they naturally possessed qualities worthy of notice. Their aptitudes were all quite good.
By now, many of them had found Dao methods suited to themselves.
The fortunate ones, such as Nie Xinying, had directly become direct disciples of an Exalted Venerable, while those a step below had also become pillars of Profound Residences in various regions.
Yet there were also people like Tao Dingfu, who had inherited lost Dao lineages from predecessors and cared only for cultivation, unwilling to enter another school. Even so, they wielded no small amount of influence.
There were quite a number of such people. United, they formed a formidable force and held influence in every aspect of Celestial Xia. That gave them the means to resist the sect's summons.
When even their Dao methods and inheritances differed, what right was there to call them sect disciples?
Tao Dingfu asked at this point, "Senior Brother Yuan, do you know why the sect has summoned us?"
Yuan Xin said, "Junior Brother Tao, you surely know that an envoy from Upper Firmament Heaven has now arrived in Celestial Xia?"
"I know." Though he was not a profound cultivator, he was in Jade Capital. Any news naturally reached him quickly.
Yuan Xin said, "This senior brother spent some time in the sect in the past. The current 'sect master'—Junior Brother Xun's junior brother—had dealings with Upper Firmament Heaven back then. It seems there was even a dispute over it.
"The sect used to take an indifferent attitude toward us, yet