"Backer Ancestor above, he would surely find this move inappropriate as well, contrary to the sect's principles!"
Yun Tian Zhenren nodded with a smile. Gou Yuan Zhenren and Xiaxuan Zhenren's words were exactly what he had wanted to say.
Indeed, the title of one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects was important.
But the sect's principles were even more important!
Though on the surface, Backer Sect had spent tens of thousands of years since its founding and had only reached sixth place among the Nine Great Immortal Sects.
That was merely on the surface.
Now, the Eastern Region was about to change. Many ancient aristocratic clans and reclusive great sects had emerged.
Since they wanted the title of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, then let them have it.
There was no need to expose their strength and fight them to the death.
Though Backer Sect might no longer be one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects in the future, its strength and foundation would remain.
Whoever became one of the new Nine Great Immortal Sects, if they dared use that title to bully Backer Sect.
Then they would be the ones who had failed to recognize Mount Tai!
An elder from Limitless Peak stood up. His face was unwilling, his heart filled with anger, as he said:
"Sect Leader, Martial Uncle Xuanhe, fellow First Seats, that is not what we are angry about."
"What angers us is that the two Sacred Grounds do not take us seriously at all. The elder from Yaoguang Holy Land who came to persuade us had his eyes in the sky, looking down on us as if we were beneath him."
Wuji Zhenren glanced at the elder from his own peak. Seeing that he had such a childish notion, he rebuked him:
"Wuya, have you already forgotten the sect principles that First Seat Gou Yuan and First Seat Xiaxuan just spoke of?"
"My temper is this bad, yet even I did not get angry. And you are the one leading the protest."
"Is it not a good thing when enemies look down on us?"
"The more they look down on us, the more likely they are to be killed in return."
"Backer Sect hopes those powerful clans and great sects entering the world will look down on us. If they have the guts, let them come test us. We will dig up their ancestral graves for them."
Upon hearing that last sentence, Elder Wuya smiled as well. "I was foolish. Indeed, getting angry over this would mean lacking confidence in the sect. It would mean looking down on ourselves."
Yun Tian Zhenren smiled and nodded. "All right, everyone has heard the discussion among the First Seats and elders just now."
"Just as they said, while reputation is important, the sect's principles are more important."
"Others may look down on us, but we must think highly of ourselves."
"Backer Sect does not stir up trouble, but neither does it fear trouble."
"As for the Sun Moon Divine Church offending our sect last time, it is not that we will not retaliate. The time simply has not yet come."
Yun Tian Zhenren's words set the blood of these old men, hundreds of years old, boiling. They thoroughly regained their confidence in the sect.
His words hinted that the sect's foundation ran deep.
They feared no one!
That Old Fellow Definitely Could Not Resist Such Temptation
"It is precisely because we have upheld the Backer Founder's philosophy of the cautious path that our sect has survived for tens of thousands of years in this land of the Eastern Region."
"A tree standing above the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Our sect has no Emperor Armament, so we cannot appear too conspicuous."
"After all, no leader likes subordinates whose achievements overshadow their lord and steal the limelight."
Xuanhe Daoren, who had remained silent all this time, slowly spoke with a smile on his face.
He was greatly comforted that everyone could recognize the sect's principles and refrain from doing foolish things.
"It is also because we have kept our strength in reserve that the sect has never encountered any great calamity."
"Those stronger than us on the surface look down on us, while those roughly equal to us on the surface cannot defeat us if we fight."
"So it is still best to stay hidden. Keeping one's strength concealed is a virtue. The Founder truly did not deceive us."
Hearing Xuanhe Daoren's explanation, everyone laughed.
The cautious path had always been Backer Sect's tradition.
Of the one hundred and thirty elders sitting here, the lowest cultivation level displayed on the surface was early Spirit Infant Realm.
But who among them was truly at the early Spirit Infant Realm?
At Backer Sect, if one did not hide a bit of one's cultivation, one would not even have the confidence to speak.
One would be too embarrassed to call oneself the disciple of so-and-so.
Yun Tian Zhenren said, "Since everyone agrees, let them make a fuss over this Immortal Ranking. Backer Sect will not participate."
Everyone nodded upon hearing this.
Xuanhe Daoren said, "Cultivate steadily, everyone. Hide a little more of your cultivation. When you travel the world in the future, you will have a bit more confidence."
"Yes!" the elders replied with smiles.
Then, at Yun Tian Zhenren's signal, the elders stood and adjourned the meeting, filing out of Backer Great Hall one after another.
At this moment, only Xuanhe Daoren, Yun Tian Zhenren, and the First Seats of the six peaks remained inside Backer Great Hall—a total of eight people.
Tianji Zhenren glanced at Yun Tian Zhenren and Xuanhe Daoren, then asked, "Senior Brother, what else do you wish to discuss by keeping us here?"
Yun Tian Zhenren said, "Naturally, it concerns the matter of the Sun Moon Divine Church we just mentioned."
Upon hearing this, Wuji Zhenren, who had the fiercest temper, raised his brows and said excitedly, "Senior Brother, are you planning to take on a Sacred Ground?"
Xiaxuan Zhenren frowned. "Senior Brother Wuji, watch your language. You are hundreds of years old already, yet still so crude."
Wuji Zhenren scratched his head awkwardly and rephrased his words. "Senior Brother, do you have a plan? Are we going to deal with the Sun Moon Divine Church?"
Yun Tian Zhenren smiled faintly. "There is no plan, exactly. But a great figure of the sect will be returning soon. After I told him about this matter, he already went to the Sun Moon Divine Church."
"He already went?"
Hearing this, even Di Shen Zhenren, who had not said a word, turned to look over in surprise.
What kind of great figure had such a fiery temper that he charged straight for the Sun Moon Divine Church?
That was an Ultimate Sacred Ground!
Yun Tian Zhenren looked toward Hua Yunfei, who had been acting as though the matter had nothing to do with him and hanging it high above his head.
Hua Yunfei froze for a moment, a guess forming in his heart. He asked tentatively, "Could it be... my father?"
His father, Hua Cangqiong, had been away from the sect for thirty years. Apart from occasionally contacting him through a Sound Transmission Stone, there was almost no other news.
Even Hua Yunfei did not know where his father had gone.
The only thing he could be certain of was that Hua Cangqiong was not in the Eastern Region.
"In all of Backer Sect, who has a worse temper than your father?"
"When it comes to temper, even your Martial Uncle Wuji would have to call him big brother."
Yun Tian Zhenren spoke with a laugh. Even he had not expected Hua Cangqiong, upon learning that the sect had nearly been schemed against, to become so angry that he turned around on the spot and charged toward the Sun Moon Divine Church.
Gou Yuan Zhenren said speechlessly, "Thirty years have passed, yet he is still the same. In cultivation, he is the most cautious. In temper, he is the fiercest. In strength, he is the strongest."
Tianji Zhenren curled his lips. "If I had also grown up among the elders of Daoyuan Peak, I could have..."
"Stop pretending. With your heaven-tier aptitude, do not try to compare yourself to him."
Gou Yuan Zhenren chuckled softly, glancing at Tianji Zhenren as he retorted without mercy.
"I..." Tianji Zhenren gritted his teeth in fury. He truly wanted to strangle this fellow to death.
Wuji Zhenren also glanced at him. "Senior Brother Tianji should keep a lower profile. After all, that aptitude of yours is right there, isn't it, everyone?"
Both inside and outside his words, he was alluding to the Blood Demon Clan's secret realm incident.
"Hmph!"
Tianji Zhenren said nothing, sneering inwardly.
He had now broken through to the perfected Celestial Realm. He was only one step away from the Approaching Dao Realm.
You old fellows can keep showing off. Once I squeeze a few more benefits out of Daoyuan Peak, I will grind every one of you to death.
When my cultivation is sufficient, I will definitely find an excuse to fight each of you.
Then I will let you old things know why flowers are so red!
After learning that it truly was his father, Hua Yunfei was somewhat speechless. That old fellow usually kept saying that the sect's affairs had nothing to do with him and that they should not exploit him, yet when the sect truly ran into trouble, he was still this impulsive.
That was an Ultimate Sacred Ground.
At his age, could he not think a little about Hua Yunfei's mother?
Oh... right. His mother had a violent temper too.
"You need not worry. Cangqiong only went to the Sun Moon Divine Church to stake it out. Without an opportunity, he will not make a move. The other side is an Ultimate Sacred Ground, after all. Even someone as headstrong as him knows that a reckless fool will surely die."
Yun Tian Zhenren said this, still confident in Hua Cangqiong's strength.
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