Chapter Thirty-Three: Is True Man Tianji Trying to Work His Senior Brothers to Death? (Continued)

Tianji Zhenren had undergone a drastic change in temperament lately, locking himself inside his Cave Abode and never stepping beyond its doors.

Even when he occasionally came out, he wore a stiff face, looking at everyone as though they owed him money.

By now, it had been two months since he last went out.

Celestial Secrets Peak cultivated the secrets of heaven and crossed the river of karma.

All Celestial Secrets Peak disciples had dabbled in the path of heavenly secrets.

Nearly everyone held a whisk and wore Daoist robes, swaying their heads as they walked, like terrestrial immortals.

"Immeasurable that Heavenly Venerable!"

"Master, what exactly happened to him?"

A young man looked at the tightly shut Cave Abode doors, frowning in confusion.

"Ever since he returned from the Blood Demon Clan secret realm over three months ago, he had changed completely."

"He used to be a downright Wu Liang old Daoist, constantly teasing his junior brothers and sisters."

"Now, not only did he refuse to leave his Cave Abode, but even when he went out once after many days, he would still be frowning."

"Even when the pretty female disciples he usually liked spoke to him, he ignored them completely."

"Could he be sick?"

The young man was Tianji Zhenren's eldest true disciple, Li Duxiu.

On the surface, he had already reached the peak of the Violet Palace Realm and was the senior brother of everyone on Celestial Secrets Peak.

Now that his master had shut himself away and the elders and martial uncles of Celestial Secrets Peak had all thrown themselves heart and soul into cultivation—

All the sect affairs handed down by the sect had been pushed onto him.

It was giving him one massive headache!

Li Duxiu also wanted to cultivate. Otherwise, if his junior brothers and sisters surpassed him, would that not be utterly humiliating?

At the very least, he had to put on a show and break through a little on the surface, right?

But now, he simply had no time.

"Senior Brother."

A woman in Daoist robes approached. She was delicate and lovely, holding prayer beads in her hand. With a slight smile, she said:

"Master still refuses to come out?"

She was Tianji Zhenren's second disciple, Ouyang Luoqing.

Li Duxiu shook his head with a sigh. Suddenly, he looked at Ouyang Luoqing. "You broke through to the peak of the Violet Palace Realm?"

"I broke through just yesterday. After stabilizing it a little, I wanted to come see Master today."

Ouyang Luoqing said with a light smile. Her features were small and exquisite, and her smile was incredibly soothing.

"Looks like Junior Sister has still caught up to me. This senior brother needs to work harder."

Li Duxiu smiled bitterly. Ouyang Luoqing was several years younger than him, yet her realm had already caught up to his.

"It's fine. It's only on the surface anyway, right?"

"Junior Sister has no idea how much Senior Brother is hiding!"

"As for Junior Sister herself, she isn't hiding a thing."

Ouyang Luoqing said earnestly. Combined with her delicate little face, she could easily make people believe her.

But Li Duxiu, as the senior brother of Celestial Secrets Peak, was exceedingly shrewd and had inherited Tianji Zhenren's true teachings. How could he possibly be fooled?

Ouyang Luoqing's words went in one ear and out the other.

Across the entire Backer Sect, anyone who claimed they were hiding nothing was lying through their teeth!

They were talking nonsense with their eyes wide open.

But even so, no one cared.

As long as you refused to admit it, there was nothing anyone could do to you.

"I see Master looking gloomy, his worries piled high. If this continues, I fear he may develop inner demons and cause a great disaster!"

Li Duxiu said worriedly.

Ouyang Luoqing said, "I asked around at the other peaks. Master's current state may be related to several other Peak Masters, especially the Enemy God Peak Master."

"What do you mean?"

Li Duxiu himself had no time to investigate. All the miscellaneous affairs of Celestial Secrets Peak were on his shoulders now, and he could not spare a moment.

"Master went with the Sect Leader, several Peak Master martial uncles, and Grand Uncle-Master Xuanhe to subjugate the Blood Demon Clan."

"Everyone displayed great might and revealed a little of their hidden strength."

"Master seemed unable to outdo the other Peak Master martial uncles, so..."

Li Duxiu understood. "He got upset?"

Ouyang Luoqing nodded and said:

"Now, he can probably only step out of his Cave Abode once his realm catches up to those martial uncles. Otherwise, I fear it will be difficult to see him anytime soon."

Li Duxiu turned his head and gazed toward the other main peaks. Helplessly, he said, "It seems Master appears to be the most calculating on the surface, but is actually the simplest of them all."

"Indeed."

Ouyang Luoqing nodded with a sigh. Those Peak Master martial uncles were pushing themselves too hard.

They had dealt Master such a blow.

Especially Martial Uncle Enemy God. She had heard that Master had cursed him out for quite some time, calling him a secretly passionate man.

"Humph!"

Suddenly, the Cave Abode doors opened. Tianji Zhenren walked out with a stiff face, looked at the two of them, and rebuked:

"Is your master the sort of person with such a small heart?"

"Do not listen to other people's nonsense."

"Getting upset because I failed to outdo the other Peak Masters is utterly baseless. Nothing of the sort happened!"

"Do not mention it again!"

Li Duxiu and Ouyang Luoqing's expressions turned solemn. They nodded and said, "Understood, Master. Everyone else was talking nonsense. Master was merely in a poor mood and entered seclusion to calm his mind."

"Exactly."

Tianji Zhenren nodded, expressionless, yet inside, he began cursing furiously again.

Damn Heavenly Venerable, just you wait. If I don't cultivate you all to death, then my name isn't Hong Qitian!

"Keep your master's words in mind. Do not let your imaginations run wild. Cultivate properly."

"Remember, you must cultivate properly. Do not let the true disciples of the other peaks surpass you."

"Your master is going to Daoyuan Peak. I will return shortly."

Tianji Zhenren flicked his sleeve. A cloud appeared beneath his feet, carrying him into the sky as he flew toward Daoyuan Peak.

"Master still cares so much about saving face."

Ouyang Luoqing smiled lightly. She exchanged a glance with Li Duxiu, and the two shook their heads helplessly at the same time.

Their master's mouth was the hardest thing on him!

Li Duxiu looked toward Daoyuan Peak and said, "Master will probably return disappointed again after going to find the Daoyuan Peak Master this time."

Tianji Zhenren had rarely gone out over the past few months, but whenever he did, he almost always went to Daoyuan Peak.

Yet Daoyuan Zhenren had been away for more than three months and had still not returned to the sect.

"Daoyuan Peak has deep foundations and left behind an abundance of good things. Master is probably trying to mooch off them."

Ouyang Luoqing said.

Daoyuan Peak was the number one peak of Backer Sect. Every generation of ancestors of the Hua Family had been top-tier geniuses, but they were exceedingly strange and never accepted disciples.

As for themselves, no one knew what illness they had contracted, but most lived only a few hundred years, dying early in the prime of their lives.

Countless sect disciples lamented this.

If every generation of Hua Family ancestors had lived long lives, the current strength of Backer Sect would likely rival that of an ordinary sacred-land-level force!

"Grand Uncle-Master Tianji, Master truly has not returned. Even if you force me, it won't help."

At the foot of Daoyuan Peak, Tianji Zhenren stood there.

Before him, Ye Bufan explained with a face on the verge of tears.

This Grand Uncle-Master Tianji had come several times, all for his master.

But his master had been away for over three months and had yet to return, so each visit ended with nothing to show for it.