“Thank you, Senior,” Ye Chen said, immediately taking out the Ancient Jade Slip that Elder Mu had given him.
He activated it without hesitation.
The Ancient Jade Slip hummed, radiating a brilliant light. A profound and obscure power flowed out, containing terrifying ‘Dao and Momentum.’ As soon as this power appeared, it enveloped the Dao Rhyme emanating from the Bronze Ancient Palace, weaving a vast, inescapable net.
At the same time, the Martial Dao Great Emperor also channeled the power of the Martial Dao Pagoda to assist Ye Chen.
Before long, Ye Chen successfully collected that wisp of the Bronze Ancient Palace’s Dao Rhyme into the Ancient Jade Slip.
Slightly excited, Ye Chen bowed respectfully to the Martial Dao Great Emperor once more. “Thank you for your assistance, Senior.”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor nodded, slowly extending his right hand. A divine splendor surged in the void, beginning to manifest his legacy. In an instant, a terrifying, peerless martial power—a Martial Dao Furnace—roiled across the heavens and earth like a vast ocean. Its immense might was enough to tear the sky and shatter the earth, an overwhelming, tyrannical aura that seemed capable of crushing all things!
Witnessing this spectacle, the geniuses on the ground were utterly stunned. What kind of martial legacy was this? It was simply terrifying!
Chu Yuan of the Supreme Profound Sect’s face turned grim. “If Ye Chen obtains this inheritance, his strength will become even more terrifying!”
Nan Chen of the Cangmu Academy spoke with unconcealed resentment. “I never expected Ye Chen to become the biggest winner of this secret realm journey.”
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, Chen Changsheng was secretly observing the scene.
He murmured, “This Martial Dao Great Emperor is somewhat of a pity. If he had been given enough time, his martial achievements would have been far greater than this!”
At that moment, the Martial Dao Great Emperor opened his right hand and injected his inheritance into an ancient crystal—an Inheritance Stone.
He slowly handed the Inheritance Stone to Ye Chen. “Ye Chen, my inheritance is far inferior to the one you already possess! However, the Martial Dao is a path of fusion, and my techniques still hold some merit. This Inheritance Stone also contains a vast amount of my martial insights. You may study it, take the essence, and discard the dross.”
Ye Chen bowed respectfully, accepting the Inheritance Stone. “Thank you, Senior!”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor reached out, and the massive Martial Dao Pagoda shrank to the size of a palm. He smiled and handed the pagoda to Ye Chen.
“Ye Chen, this Martial Dao Pagoda is a Three-star Emperor Weapon. Unfortunately, it has been severely eroded by the passage of time, and I used it to counter that wisp of Dao Rhyme from the Bronze Ancient Palace. It is now badly damaged, but it can still exert the power of a One-star Emperor Weapon. Please accept it.”
Ye Chen took the Martial Dao Pagoda, seeing the countless cracks covering its surface, and bowed respectfully again. “Thank you, Senior!”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor nodded, his gaze sweeping across the secret realm. He let out a long sigh. “My life ends here. Oh, by the way, who is your Master?”
Ye Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile. “The Grand Dao Sect, Azure Mystery Peak, Lu Xuan.”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor was visibly shocked. “So you are a disciple of the Grand Dao Sect. No wonder. What is your Master’s strength?”
Lu Xuan’s image appeared in Ye Chen’s eyes as he slowly spoke, his voice filled with reverence. “My Master’s cultivation is heaven-reaching and earth-shattering. He is already invincible! He stands at the absolute zenith, looking down upon all creation! Only a true magnate of the Southern Wilds is qualified to even meet him!”
As his voice faded, everyone was stunned! The Martial Dao Great Emperor froze in place.
Yao Huanhuan’s mouth hung open, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Huh?”
Liu Xuan, Luo Lingkong, and Fang Yan exchanged bewildered glances.
Well, this was… awkward.
The world fell into a profound silence. All the geniuses and prodigies stared at Ye Chen, their faces etched with shock. Was he serious? Why did they find that so hard to believe?
Wasn’t Lu Xuan the notoriously worthless Peak Master of the Southern Wilds?
When did this happen? How did he become invincible? Why had no one heard of it?
Yao Huanhuan immediately turned to Liu Xuan and the others. “Hey, you guys know Peak Master Lu. Is he really invincible?”
Liu Xuan’s jade feet trembled beneath the shimmering flower petals, and her red lips parted in confusion. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Luo Lingkong mused, “Ye Chen must be referring to the person behind him. The one who gave him so many terrifying opportunities must be terrifyingly powerful and transcendent.”
Liu Xuan’s beautiful eyes sparkled with divine light, and she gave a charming smile. “That makes sense. It must be that hidden senior!”
Chu Yuan of the Supreme Profound Sect and Nan Chen of the Cangmu Academy couldn’t help but snicker. This was the funniest joke they had ever heard! Lu Xuan? Invincible? What a load of nonsense!
At this point, the Martial Dao Great Emperor asked with a look of awe, “Could your Master be the Grand Dao Sect’s Progenitor? Perhaps only the Progenitor could be called invincible. Unfortunately, after the great war between the Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect, the Progenitor vanished without a trace for countless years.”
Silence descended upon the world once more.
This time, even Ye Chen was stunned. Wait a minute. Was his Master really the Grand Dao Sect’s Progenitor?
As the legends went, during the Ancient Era, the Grand Dao Sect and the Supreme Profound Sect fought for the ultimate sovereign position in the Southern Wilds. That battle tore the heavens apart and caused rivers of blood to flow. In the end, the Grand Dao Sect Progenitor chose to compromise, relinquished the sovereign position, and then disappeared…
The people on the ground exchanged glances. Between the Martial Dao Great Emperor and Ye Chen, one was bold enough to claim it, and the other was naive enough to believe it!
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, Chen Changsheng’s expression was extremely solemn.
“Lu Xuan is the Grand Dao Sect Progenitor? Huh?”
A flash of lightning crossed his mind… Could it be?
Ye Chen is only at the Profound Venerate realm, and that great fortune seems connected to him, but in reality, it’s most likely because of Ye Chen’s Master, Lu Xuan!
This possibility was huge! Could Lu Xuan have been hiding his cultivation all along?! Was he not a waste at all, but merely pretending to be in the Qi Refining Stage?
“Clap!”
Chen Changsheng clapped his hands, as if he had sniffed out a grand conspiracy.
If this was true, Lu Xuan was a genius! By pretending to be in the Qi Refining Stage, Lu Xuan could dodge all those tedious sect missions. After all, in a sect like the Grand Dao Sect, Peak Masters have to handle many responsibilities and obey the orders of the Old Ancestors and the Sect Master!
Secondly, Lu Xuan only had to endure a bit of ridicule, but no one paid him any real attention. He could do whatever he wanted, go wherever he pleased!
Thirdly, Lu Xuan just lies around on Azure Mystery Peak, eating and drinking, doing absolutely nothing, and now he’s recruited two heaven-defying disciples, which has earned him the care and protection of the Old Ancestors and the Sect Master.
Lu Xuan truly was “invincible” in his own way!
And the most crucial point? He’s in the Qi Refining Stage… so he can’t be blamed for anything!
“My Heavens! Lu Xuan is simply too much of a schemer!” Chen Changsheng exclaimed.
He could list ten thousand more benefits of Lu Xuan pretending to be in the Qi Refining Stage.
Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but curse internally, “You’re too much of a bastard, Lu Xuan!”
He could now imagine Lu Xuan secretly cultivating and silently raising his power every day while lying in his cave dwelling, yet the entire Southern Wilds believed he was still in the Qi Refining Stage.
As for why Lu Xuan would still want to grow stronger even after achieving all this? Simple. A man’s core drive is to seek greater strength.
If you don’t want to grow stronger, you’re not a man…
Chen Changsheng instantly felt that compared to Lu Xuan, his own Steady Path was ten thousand miles behind! How could there be such a master of prudence in this world?
He had spent day and night avoiding karma, staying far away from trouble, constantly worrying, unable to sleep well, and hadn’t enjoyed himself in years. Yet, this Lu Xuan fellow was sitting right in the middle of massive causality, completely unbothered and carefree!
Unbelievable! Ridiculous!
In this game, he was on the first floor, and Lu Xuan was on the ten thousandth!
Chen Changsheng grew more excited the more he thought about it, but also angrier!
He was truly defeated. Why? The Three Thousand Great Daos were vast! Did Lu Xuan have to compete with him on the niche path of the Steady Path and Prudence for the ultimate fortune?
He was ready to call Lu Xuan a god!
Chen Changsheng immediately pulled out a jade slip and began reviewing the information it contained about Lu Xuan.
He read and analyzed.
“Lu Xuan, male. Was picked up by Qingxuan Saint when he was young and taken as a disciple. However, Lu Xuan’s cultivation talent was too poor, and he remained in the Qi Refining Stage. Several years later, Qingxuan Saint was severely wounded while executing a sect mission and eventually passed away, passing the Azure Mystery Peak Master position to Lu Xuan…”
“For the next seven years, Lu Xuan failed to recruit a single disciple. Every time there was a major event in the Southern Wilds where major powers gathered, Lu Xuan would be ridiculed, and his name as the ‘Worthless Peak Master’ spread throughout the Southern Wilds.”
“In the Southern Wilds, you might not have heard of the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, or Yuan Qingzi, but you must have heard the story of Lu Xuan! He is the Worthless Peak Master! All major powers repeatedly warned their geniuses: if you join the Grand Dao Sect, you must never become Lu Xuan’s disciple, or your life will be ruined!”
“Then, after seven years without a disciple, he suddenly took two disciples, both of whom are heaven-defying! Yet, no one suspected Lu Xuan’s true strength…”
A moment later, Chen Changsheng put away the jade slip, his eyes flashing with brilliant light.
“Clap, clap, clap!”
He clapped his hands, excited. Wonderful, simply wonderful! It was a rare pleasure to meet a fellow Daoist on the paths of Prudence and the Steady Path! Absolutely brilliant!
Chen Changsheng was thrilled. He muttered, “Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan, since the Qingxuan Saint passed away, there’s no one left to contradict him. Who knows how strong he really is? But figures of great destiny like Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao were still drawn by the mysterious power around Lu Xuan and chose him as their Master!”
He stared intently at Ye Chen a thousand miles away. “Look, Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan has played his hand so perfectly that even if his disciples openly declare his power, no one believes it! Even if Lu Xuan stood before everyone in the Southern Wilds and showed his true strength, no one would believe it! Because this Lu Xuan fellow has already fabricated a fictitious identity for himself: the hidden backer behind Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao!”
He sighed wistfully, his admiration for Lu Xuan overflowing. “The greatest recluse hides in the marketplace! I still have a long way to go compared to Lu Xuan! Even a novelist wouldn’t dare write a plot this ridiculous…”
Chen Changsheng lamented, “I just don’t know which ultimate magnate of the Southern Wilds Lu Xuan is, or why he chose to join the Grand Dao Sect through the Qingxuan Saint. What is his true intention?”
He sank into deep thought. One question led to countless others, and his head began to ache.
***
Back at the underground palace.
The Martial Dao Great Emperor was still reeling from the shock of the ‘Lu Xuan is Invincible’ revelation.
After a moment of silence, the Great Emperor smiled. “Forget it. Whether Lu Xuan is the Grand Dao Sect Progenitor or not, it no longer matters! For a dying man like me, it is meaningless. Before my persistent thought dissipates, Ye Chen, please help me fulfill one last wish.”
Ye Chen replied, “Please tell me, Senior.”
The Martial Dao Great Emperor looked at Ye Chen. “Demonstrate your martial arts technique for me. I wish to feel it one last time!”
Ye Chen nodded, suddenly taking a step into the void.
“Desolate! Heaven! Art!”
He prepared to unleash the technique.