Once he understood the whole story, Daoist Gu could only offer comfort. "Daoist brother, perhaps your worries are simply clouding your judgment? This Hou Niao may indeed be a skilled fighter, but surely he has his limits? I refuse to believe that if he had strength on par with a Constellation True Disciple, Shanmen could keep him in the ranks of ordinary disciples forever.
"Besides, his so-called feat of slaying a Golden Core cultivator across realm boundaries may not reflect his true strength. Take Daoist Brother Hei's Black Illusion Realm, for instance. Haven't you long said that such clever shortcuts aren't the proper path of the Daoist Sect? Sooner or later, his boat will capsize in a gutter. What he gains through cunning, he'll lose through illusion..."
Both men fell somewhat silent. Cultivators had their own principles. Schemes and plots were one thing; holding firm to one's Dao Heart was another. A sect could not do without people who schemed, but it could even less afford to lack those who refused to take expedient shortcuts.
Each having their own focus was the proper way for a sect to develop and grow strong.
Tang Yan was destined to be the kind of cultivator who walked the great path. Otherwise, how could he have broken the Heaven and Earth Shackles? Would the Heavenly Dao make an exception for someone who harbored cowardice?
Daoist Gu remarked admiringly, "Perhaps Martial Nephew Tang is also using this Hou Niao to hone himself. Troubled times are approaching, and competition among the Constellation True Disciples will be unavoidable. If it has to begin, taking this fellow as the opening prize would be no bad thing."
One wanted to rise through the ranks; the other wanted to test his blade. To their respective sect elders, this battle seemed