Xiang Yun turned into a streak of light and landed directly atop the mountain. A great hall stood there, built of some unknown material.
It was not particularly grand, and it was steeped in desolation.
All around the hall were carvings of figures locked in battle, their opponents almost all enormous demons and ferocious beasts.
The Primordial Battle Hall.
This was where Hong Wuji usually spent his time. After landing in front of the Primordial Battle Hall, Xiang Yun took a moment to straighten his appearance.
He walked in to find a muscular giant seated in the main seat, his body covered in muscles coiled like horned dragons. His Daoist robe bulged around his frame.
"Why are you still built like that, brat? If you didn't say you were from the Primordial Hall, everyone would think you were a disciple of some other sect!"
Hong Wuji shifted somewhat awkwardly, leaving Xiang Yun speechless.
As for what Hong Wuji had said, disciples who went out from the Primordial Hall were almost all brawny men, so Xiang Yun was indeed an exception.
"The essence is in the concentrate. Besides, Master, I've told you that Daoist robes don't suit you. You tried to paint a tiger and ended up with a dog..."
Xiang Yun cupped his hands first, then spoke, at a loss for words.
Hong Wuji scratched the back of his head. "You think I wanted to wear this? I'd rather go bare-chested. But didn't that woman from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace come by a couple of days ago?"
"I had to make myself presentable for her. After we settled the sect exchange, I called the peak masters of the other two peaks together for a discussion and didn't have time to deal with it."
With that, a force erupted from Hong Wuji's body. His Daoist robe burst apart, and countless scraps of cloth fluttered like butterflies, revealing his bronze-colored, powerfully built body.
"That's better," Hong Wuji said with a sigh.
"The Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace?"
On second thought, Xiang Yun wondered why they had come knocking so soon. He asked, a little puzzled, "Is the sect exchange with the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace again this year?"
"What, you don't want to? Weren't you very interested in that woman's disciple?" Hong Wuji said when he heard Xiang Yun's question.
"And what are you doing? There's still nearly half a year left. They've never come knocking this early before."
"Anyway, that woman said we need to go to their place this time."
After a moment's silence, Xiang Yun told Hong Wuji some of what had happened at the Ancient Tomb Mansion, describing certain parts in detail and glossing over others.
Hong Wuji was his master, both a teacher and a father to him. He ought to know, especially since this could very well put them at odds with the Yuan Sect.
"What? No one managed it for so many years, and you actually pulled it off!"
Hong Wuji had not expected his disciple to go out for a trip and win over the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace's most prized disciple.
Quite a few women from the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace married, but almost no one had ever won over a palace master. Everyone knew the situation at the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace.
"No wonder that wom... the Palace Master of Taiqing Palace looked so displeased at first." Hong Wuji rubbed his chin. No wonder the atmosphere had felt strange then.
"You're really something!" Hong Wuji even gave his disciple a thumbs-up.
"All right, I know the pros and cons. No one else will hear about this. We'll go there for this year's exchange, and that'll give you two a chance to..."
Hong Wuji now understood what was going on and nodded. But Xiang Yun said, "Master, how about going to the Dao Sect for this year's sect exchange instead? As for the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, I'm interested in Ling Qingzhu, so I'll go and exchange with her myself."
Hong Wuji frowned deeply, the muscles between his brows bunching together.
"The Dao Sect? You still haven't given up on the Great Desolation Scripture? Aren't the Primordial Battle Body and the Three Heaven-Breaking Forms in the Primordial Hall enough for you to learn?"
The Primordial Hall had only two Heavenly Martial Arts: the Primordial Battle Body and the Three Heaven-Breaking Forms. Naturally, it could not compare with the Dao Sect, but the Dao Sect's four Heavenly Martial Arts each stood alone.
Aside from the Great Desolation Scripture, which might be a different matter, the other three each formed a complete system, and most people could master only one at best.
But the Primordial Battle Body and the Three Heaven-Breaking Forms could be used together. Otherwise, how could Hong Wuji fight someone at Peak Samsara while at the Middle Reincarnation Stage?
"Yes. I gained a great deal this time. When the time comes, I'll goad Sect Master Ying a little and fight all the Nirvana Realm disciples from the Dao Sect's four great halls by myself..."
Before Xiang Yun could finish explaining his plan, Hong Wuji cut him off.
"Wait. You haven't really trained your muscles into your brain, have you? Fight all the Nirvana Realm disciples from the Dao Sect's four great halls by yourself?"
Hong Wuji looked at Xiang Yun as if he were an idiot. He acknowledged that, in his eyes, Xiang Yun was the most formidable genius in the Primordial Hall's history.
Even Zhou Tong, who had appeared in the Dao Sect some years ago, was nothing much compared to Xiang Yun.
But fighting all the Dao Sect's Nirvana Realm disciples alone? Did he think they were just there to eat and do nothing?
"I'm not joking, Master. I might really be invincible in the Nirvana Realm."
Xiang Yun spoke.
At those words, Hong Wuji looked at Xiang Yun.
Master and disciple stared at each other and fell silent for a while.
"You just entered Nirvana, and you're telling me you're invincible? Have you gone mad, or have I? Can breaking through to the Nirvana Realm affect your brain too?"
Xiang Yun knew he had wasted his breath. Forget it. His master would find out when the time came. He said, "I'm telling you now so you won't be too surprised later."
"Let's go to the Dao Sect this year. Think over the details."
"All right, I'll go ask about the details."
Since his disciple had put it that way, Hong Wuji naturally had to grant his wish to the fullest.
This was his most precious disciple, after all.
"Also, a couple of days ago, I obtained an inheritance over in the Great Desolate Dynasty. It was from the Earth Yuan Sect, and it's called the Qiankun Battle Body..."
As Hong Wuji listened to Xiang Yun, he raised his eyebrows. "The Qiankun Battle Body? You actually got that inheritance? No, that's not right. At most, you would have met the requirements for the Power of Earth trial..."
"You know about it?"
"Of course. The Earth Yuan Sect was an ancient sect too. Its patriarch had a much closer relationship with the Master of Primordial than the Primordial Hall's patriarch did."
"To draw a comparison, they were fellow Daoists, while our patriarch was the Master of Primordial's disciple."
Xiang Yun had not expected such a secret to lie behind it. He did not answer Hong Wuji's question, and Hong Wuji did not press him.
His disciple had so many secrets that he was used to it. He had raised Xiang Yun from childhood; how could he not trust him?
"All right. I'll prepare some resources for you when the time comes. This body-refining martial art is very powerful."
Xiang Yun was a little surprised too. Even Hong Wuji, who had the Primordial Battle Body, called it powerful, so it had to be very powerful indeed.
"Go tell your father, then go cultivate. And stay out of some of the hall's recent affairs. I'll deal with them."
"Affairs in the hall?"
Xiang Yun was puzzled, but since Hong Wuji had said that, he certainly would not tell him even if he asked. Could he not just go ask his father instead?
He cupped his hands and left, turning into a streak of light and heading for one of the mountain peaks. There was a hall on that peak as well.
His father, Xiang Huang.
He was the peak master of Battle Heaven Peak, one of the Primordial Hall's three great peaks, and was at the Advanced Life Profound Realm.
Needless to say, he was a brawny man too.
Xiang Huang seemed to have heard of Xiang Yun's return. He was not cultivating, but looking at something.
"Been to see the Hall Master?"
"Yes. Father, the Hall Master told me to stay out of the hall's affairs. What's going on?"
Xiang Huang was silent for a moment. "Since the Hall Master told you to stay out of it, do as he says. This matter won't do you any good."
"Then I know. It's the dispute between the Divine Ability Faction and the Body Refinement Faction again. What a small temple with such fierce demonic winds. Didn't I settle it a few years ago? Why has it started again?"
From those few words from Xiang Huang, Xiang Yun knew what was going on.