This Isn't How I Imagined Entering the Sect!

"Hehe..."

"What, does my emergence from seclusion require your nod of approval?"

Duobao hurriedly waved his hands. "Master, how would I dare?

I was just curious—why did you suddenly emerge from seclusion?"

Venerable Lingbao sneered. Seeing Duobao's shameless appearance, he said irritably:

"Why I emerged from seclusion—could you possibly not know?

Hand it over."

"Hm?"

Duobao's eyes widened, his face the picture of innocence as he asked in confusion:

"Master, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand you?"

Venerable Lingbao narrowed his eyes and said, word by word, "You little brat, are you itching for a beating?"

Knowing he could no longer bluff his way through, Duobao hurriedly changed the subject:

"Oh, oh, Master, you mean Bai Ze!

This disciple came precisely because of this matter, to ask Master's permission to bring him back."

"Ha!"

Venerable Lingbao was so angered by Duobao's act of playing dumb that he laughed.

"I must have been blind back then. How did I end up taking a bastard like you as my disciple?

Look at Guang Chengzi—how much less worry does he cause?"

Duobao's expression turned solemn as he declared righteously:

"Master, how can you speak of yourself like that?

Clearly, it was because you had the keen eye to recognize a jewel, possessed far-reaching vision, and surveyed the universe that you found a disciple like me—exceptionally intelligent, peerlessly gifted, and outstanding in character.

Master, I will not allow you to speak of yourself this way."

"..." Venerable Lingbao froze slightly. Just how thick did one's skin have to be to say something like that?

Speechless, he rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

"Enough. Stop gilding your own face. Could I possibly not know what sort of goods you are?"

Seeing that most of Venerable Lingbao's anger had subsided, Duobao grinned and rubbed his hands as he stepped forward.

"Master, about Bai Ze entering the sect..."

Venerable Lingbao glanced at Duobao and snorted, cutting him off.

"This matter is not for you to decide. Whether he wishes to enter, and when, is his own business. Do not interfere."

"Uh..." Duobao withdrew his hand dejectedly. Knowing Bai Ze's temperament, if he did not personally go fetch him, Bai Ze would probably cling to the outside for a lifetime rather than come in.

His eyes rolled, and he chuckled. "Master, Bai Ze is an extremely timid person. If I don't go bring him in, he'll probably remain outside forever."

As he spoke, Duobao saw that Venerable Lingbao remained unmoved. His eyes turned, and a scheme immediately sprang to mind as he changed his tone.

"Master, look—if Bai Ze keeps staying outside,

and other cultivators see him, they may think you are using your power to bully others, bullying the small with the great. In the end, it would damage Master's reputation."

Venerable Lingbao looked expressionlessly at Duobao. "Are you teaching your master how to do things?"

Duobao's face changed drastically. He hurriedly shook his head. "How would I dare, Master? I am sincerely considering things for Master's sake!"

Venerable Lingbao glanced at Duobao. "Do you think I would care about that?"

Duobao was momentarily speechless. Remembering his master's reputation throughout the Primordial World, a trace of realization appeared in his eyes.

"I'd been wondering what threat was keeping little brother Bai Ze from daring to enter.

Now it seems that, as expected, it was all Master's fault."

Hearing Duobao's muttering, Venerable Lingbao raised a brow and asked, "Rebellious disciple, what do you mean?"

Seeing that he had caught Venerable Lingbao's attention, a flash of smugness crossed Duobao's eyes, and he chuckled.

"Master, you can't get angry after I say it."

"Speak."

"I mean exactly what I said. Little brother Bai Ze has a divine ability that senses fortune and calamity. Now it seems clear.

Master's fierce reputation must be too overwhelming, which is why he doesn't dare enter."

Duobao spread his hands, looking wordlessly at Venerable Lingbao.

Venerable Lingbao was instantly angered into laughter. "You mean Bai Ze refuses to come in because of me?"

Duobao nodded. "Isn't that so? Look at it—who in the entire Primordial World hasn't been beaten by you?

Not to mention the distant past, even the Dragon-Phoenix-Qilin Tribes have been beaten by you plenty of times. As for the other ferocious beasts, you beat them until they didn't even dare show their heads. Who doesn't know your temper is famously explosive?"

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Good, you rebellious disciple! Since you say your master has an explosive temper, then your master will let you see properly!

What exactly... is called... explosive!"

Venerable Lingbao narrowed his eyes, and endless pressure poured forth, shaking countless spatial rifts open around them as boundless Chaos Qi spilled out.

With a lift of his hand, countless formation runes emerged, transforming into chains of laws that spread across the entire small courtyard.

In an instant, they wrapped around Duobao from head to toe and hung him from the willow tree.

Seeing his master fly into a rage, Duobao hurriedly cried out:

"Master, we agreed that you couldn't get angry!

Besides, this was the truth to begin with. Even if you beat me, it won't change anything.

Otherwise, Bai Ze wouldn't be too scared to come in!"

Watching Duobao remain stubborn even while hanging there, Venerable Lingbao laughed in extreme anger.

"Fine! If you hadn't brought it up, I would have forgotten that Bai Ze also has a part in this!

Today, I will thoroughly loosen the muscles and bones of both of you!"

The next moment, he reached through layer upon layer of space and grabbed toward Bai Ze!

The enormous commotion made the entire small courtyard tremble.

In the front courtyard, Guang Chengzi looked toward the rear courtyard. How could he not understand? Duobao must have caused trouble again. He shook his head helplessly.

"That junior brother truly never lets anyone rest easy!

Serves you right to get beaten!"

Within the formation, Bai Ze watched the gateway gradually fade away. Since no other mishap occurred, he let out a long breath of relief.

"Since the Three Pure Ones did not force me to enter, there is no need to rush this moment."

"Perfect. I can use this time to properly study the Fleshly Body Inscription and see whether I can discover any clues!"

Just as the gateway faded away and Bai Ze relaxed his mind,

suddenly!

A tremor came from within his Inner Landscape.

A sense of ill omen surged into his heart.

Bai Ze frowned slightly. "What is going on?"

He stopped cultivating and looked around, only to find the great formation operating as usual, without the slightest disturbance.

"Where is this sense of danger coming from?"

Bai Ze was deeply puzzled. This was the territory of the Three Pure Ones, and there was even the Mountain-Guarding Forbidden Formation. How could something unexpected happen?

Yet his accompanying Lingbao could not be wrong. It was continuously issuing warnings.

Where was the danger coming from?

Bai Ze scratched his head, remaining extremely vigilant, yet he discovered nothing at all.

Suddenly!

The space behind him shattered, and a hair-raising sensation struck from behind.

He hurriedly turned around and saw a hand appear out of thin air, its fingers slender and its skin crystalline like white jade.

"This..."

Before he could react, that hand grabbed him, lifted him up, and dragged him into the pitch-black space.

Not long afterward, the world before his eyes brightened.

He instinctively narrowed his eyes, but then he saw chains formed from countless formations lashing toward him.

In an instant, they bound him into a rice dumpling.

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

"What was I trying to do again?"

Bai Ze stared blankly around him, three enormous question marks seeming to pop up over his head.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded beside him.

"Yo, little brother, you came too?"