Ji Fuyao fell silent after hearing the Old Ancestor’s words. She neither affirmed nor denied them. Clearly, the Old Ancestor had caught a subtle thread of her true identity.
She wondered, what had the Old Ancestor gleaned from her? Her past identity as Empress Fuyao was secondary; the collapse of the Fuyao Dynasty three millennia ago was, to a power as ancient as the Grand Dao Sect, no more than a fleeting ripple in the grand river of life. But the secret art of reincarnation involved profound mysteries. Should it be exposed, it could shake the Southern Wilderness to its core, even drawing the attention of Great Emperors from the forbidden zones!
This thought stirred a deep unease within her. "Old Ancestor, what exactly have you perceived?" she asked, a tremor in her voice.
Clad in grey robes, the Old Ancestor offered a faint smile. "Fuyao, you needn't worry. If my guess is correct, you share a certain connection with the Fuyao Dynasty of three thousand years past."
"My Grand Dao Sect has stood firm in the Southern Wilderness for countless eras. If we cannot even protect our own disciples, then what claim do we have to standing unyielding? You are now a member of my Grand Dao Sect! Outside the sect, you may hold other identities, but within the Grand Dao Sect, you will forever be a disciple of this sect!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Fuyao understood and let out a relieved breath. The Old Ancestor merely suspected a link to the Fuyao Dynasty, and more importantly, the Grand Dao Sect would protect her!
"Many thanks, Old Ancestor!"
The Grey-Robed Old Ancestor chuckled. "Good. I will inform the Sect Master about this matter."
Before long, the Sect Master officially announced the results of the Inner Sect Trial.
"Tomorrow, the top ten disciples of the Inner Sect Trial may proceed to the Grand Dao Hall to collect their rewards!"
A wave of excitement swept through the gathered disciples. This Inner Sect Trial had been far more unexpected than anyone could have imagined! Who could have conceived that a newly initiated disciple would claim first place in the Inner Sect Trial? It was an unprecedented feat in the Grand Dao Sect’s history!
Moreover, even a genius as formidable as Luo Lingkong hadn't managed to force Ji Fuyao to reveal her true strength! Just what were her limits?
Moments later, the Grey-Robed Quasi-Emperor Old Ancestor departed without lingering.
Lu Xuan grinned, looking at Ji Fuyao. "Fuyao, let's head back."
Ji Fuyao gracefully inclined her head, then linked her arm through Lu Xuan's. "Yes, Master."
Her slender, jade-like hand extended, conjuring a wisp of cloud. Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao stepped onto the ethereal platform, floating elegantly towards Azure Mystery Peak.
Witnessing this, a collective sigh echoed through the crowd of disciples. Lu Xuan was still Ji Fuyao's Master! They wondered why the Old Ancestor had agreed to let him retain his position. It was preposterous!
Though Lu Xuan had won the bet, they were far from convinced. Deeply unconvinced!
…
Back on Azure Mystery Peak, Ji Fuyao approached Lu Xuan’s cave abode, her expression earnest. "Master, tomorrow, I may need to take a mission and venture outside the sect for experience."
Lu Xuan nodded casually. "That's fine."
A faint blush touched Ji Fuyao's cheeks. "Master, you’ve likely already guessed that I carry some secrets. When the time is right, I will tell you everything."
Lu Xuan waved a dismissive hand. "No matter. Just follow your plans. Before you leave, though, I'll go with you to the Grand Dao Hall. We'll exchange some treasures for you, so you'll have ample means to protect yourself once you're outside the sect."
Ji Fuyao nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Master."
The next day, Lu Xuan awoke to find his cultivation had increased significantly once more. It seemed Ji Fuyao had been cultivating tirelessly through the night!
He emerged from his cave, splashed some water on his face in the mountain stream, and then settled into his recliner in front of his cottage, basking in the morning sun.
Before long, a figure clad in fiery red robes flew gracefully towards Azure Mystery Peak, riding a divine rainbow. From afar, a melodious voice drifted down.
"Master, good morning! I just went to the Grand Dao Hall and collected the rewards from the Inner Sect Trial and the entrance examination."
Lu Xuan nodded. "Good."
Ji Fuyao landed softly on Azure Mystery Peak, smiling brightly as she approached Lu Xuan.
"My identity token now holds one million contribution points. In addition, I received a Saint-tier offensive weapon, the Blazing Shadow Spear! I also chose a Saint-tier cultivation technique, the ‘Three Transformations of Profound Fire.’"
"Excellent," Lu Xuan said. "For your next phase of cultivation, simply follow your own plan."
Ji Fuyao inclined her snowy neck, nodded, and returned to her cave abode. She began to sort through her recent gains!
In just one month, she had advanced from the Grand Profound King realm to the Profound Sovereign realm! Her Dao Foundation was fully repaired! She had achieved Perfected Mastery of the Path of Spirit Fire! And she had even acquired a six-star Emperor-tier cultivation technique, the Heaven-Burning Art! It was a truly massive haul!
Unfortunately, she still lacked enough contribution points to exchange for the Grand Dao Scripture. The Grand Dao Scripture comprised three volumes, and the first volume alone required seven million contribution points! She would need to accumulate more for a while.
However, she was already quite content. Next, she could accept a mission and then head to the Blackflame Mountain Range to contact the Imperial Dragon Guards and the Qingcheng Ye Family!
Immediately, Ji Fuyao cast countless seals and restrictions within her cave abode. She took out the Fuyao Token and activated an ancient secret method to contact her former Imperial Dragon Guards!
A mysterious, arcane power flowed through the token, and soon, the voices of Commanders Wang Man and Qing Yan emerged.
"Empress!"
Ji Fuyao spoke. "I will be heading to the Blackflame Mountain Range today. I estimate the journey will take several days."
Wang Man’s excited voice replied, "Empress, we will dispatch patrols to the outer regions of the Blackflame Mountain Range. Please transmit a signal the moment you arrive, and we will immediately escort you."
"We have already contacted the Qingcheng Ye Family. However, they have one request: they require both the Fuyao Token and your personal appearance before they will swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao and renew their allegiance to you."
"Another faction under your command has not yet responded. Once these matters are settled, we will proceed there ourselves and handle it personally."
Ji Fuyao nodded. "Understood."
Qing Yan added, "Empress, the Blackflame Mountain Range can be considered our territory. Should you arrive, we will activate ancient formations to ensure absolute secrecy and prevent a single whisper of our activities from leaking out."
Ji Fuyao acknowledged, "I understand."
A few moments later, Ji Fuyao put away the Fuyao Token. In a few days, she would reunite with her old subordinates! A sense of anticipation stirred within her heart!
Not long after, Lu Xuan sent a spiritual message to Ji Fuyao. "Fuyao, since you're about to leave, let's go to the Grand Dao Hall first to exchange for some treasures."
Ji Fuyao immediately replied, "Many thanks, Master."
She promptly emerged from her cave abode.
Lu Xuan smiled. "Let's go."
Ji Fuyao linked her arm through Lu Xuan's, a divine rainbow manifesting beneath their feet, carrying them towards the Grand Dao Hall.
Outside the Grand Dao Hall, Ji Fuyao and Lu Xuan descended with a resounding thump. Nearby disciples watched Lu Xuan with a mix of surprise and bewilderment. Lu Xuan, at the Grand Dao Hall? In their memory, he had spent the last six or seven years confined to Azure Mystery Peak, only venturing out for the disciple recruitment ceremony.
As Lu Xuan walked through the throng, some disciples forced themselves to offer polite greetings. "Peak Master Lu!"
"Peak Master Lu."
Their hearts were a tangle of emotions. The once-useless Peak Master now enjoyed an elevated status, all thanks to Ji Fuyao. A master’s prestige, indeed, rises with a talented disciple’s success! They used to openly mock Lu Xuan, but now they dared not. If Ji Fuyao ever found out, she would likely suppress them on the spot. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
Soon, Lu Xuan and Ji Fuyao entered the Grand Dao Hall, heading straight for Elder Mu.
"Elder Mu, I'd like to exchange for a few things."
Elder Mu was about to ask if he even had enough contribution points, then remembered. When Lu Xuan's master passed, he had left behind tens of millions of contribution points for him.
Elder Mu furrowed his brow, his cloudy gaze scrutinizing Lu Xuan, as he produced an ancient jade slip. "What would you like to exchange for? Take a look through the jade slip yourself."
Lu Xuan took the jade slip but didn't even glance at it. He simply stated, "The first volume of the Grand Dao Scripture."
The words hung in the air.
Elder Mu froze.
Ji Fuyao's delicate body trembled. Could Master be exchanging it for her?
A moment of stunned silence passed. Elder Mu looked at Lu Xuan. "Are you certain you wish to exchange for the first volume of the Grand Dao Scripture? It costs eight million contribution points."
Lu Xuan produced his identity token, which still held over twenty million contribution points. He was being incredibly extravagant!
Lu Xuan replied, "Elder Mu, just deduct it directly."
Elder Mu took the token, a mysterious, ancient power flowing through his hand. Instantly, a divine light surged forth, materializing the jade slip containing the first volume of the Grand Dao Scripture.
Elder Mu's expression grew solemn. "This Grand Dao Scripture jade slip can only be viewed by one person, and it burns after reading! Such profound techniques cannot be lightly passed on! This technique has an Emperor-tier imprint, preventing any cultivator from transmitting it to another!"
Lu Xuan nodded, accepting the jade slip. "Understood."
Elder Mu knew, of course, that Lu Xuan was exchanging for the Grand Dao Scripture for Ji Fuyao. Just then, Lu Xuan turned to Ji Fuyao. "Fuyao, this jade slip contains many supreme treasures you can exchange for. Choose for yourself."
With that, Lu Xuan placed the treasure exchange jade slip into Ji Fuyao’s palm. Ji Fuyao extended her divine sense and immediately saw an incredibly vast, illusory space within. It contained countless spiritual artifacts, spirit herbs, Saint-tier weapons, and talismans! There were even Emperor Weapons! However, the contribution point cost for Emperor Weapons was staggering. Tens of millions of points, at a minimum!
Ji Fuyao selected a few Saint-tier talismans, spending one million contribution points.
Lu Xuan shook his head. "That's far too little."
Ji Fuyao felt embarrassed to choose more. Without hesitation, Lu Xuan directly exchanged for Saint-King tier and Half-Emperor tier talismans for Ji Fuyao! And several defensive treasures as well!
Elder Mu simply stared, dumbfounded. Was Lu Xuan planning to arm Ji Fuyao to the teeth?
Before long, Lu Xuan handed a storage ring to Ji Fuyao. "These should be enough."
Ji Fuyao was stunned, a warm current flowing through her heart. Lu Xuan had bought so many life-saving items! He had just spent another six million contribution points!
For a moment, she was at a loss for words. Her Master was simply too good to her.
Lu Xuan chuckled. "Alright, Fuyao, let's head back."
Just then, Elder Mu suddenly asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, "Wait, Lu Xuan, where's your cultivation level?"
Lu Xuan paused. His cultivation was shielded by the System. Unless he actively exposed it, no one could perceive it.
Lu Xuan replied, "I've concealed it."
Elder Mu's aged face twitched.
What the actual hell?
You’re at Qi Refining, what good is concealing your cultivation? Trying to play the part of a hidden master?
Then, a thought struck Elder Mu. It must be a high-grade concealment method Ji Fuyao had given Lu Xuan, so profound that even he couldn't see through it. The Old Ancestor had already informed him that Ji Fuyao had some connection to the Fuyao Dynasty from three thousand years ago. Now, they suspected Lu Xuan also had some ties to the Fuyao Dynasty. Otherwise, why would Ji Fuyao protect Lu Xuan so fiercely?
With this realization, Elder Mu waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, Lu Xuan, off you go, off you go."
He sounded utterly impatient.
Lu Xuan, left with no choice, led Ji Fuyao away. But at this moment, a monumental wave surged in Ji Fuyao's heart. Even Elder Mu couldn't discern Lu Xuan's cultivation! And Elder Mu was a Quasi-Emperor! Clearly, her Master, Lu Xuan, was a Great Emperor!
Ji Fuyao’s delicate lips curved into a faint smile, as she linked arms with Lu Xuan, thinking, Master, you certainly keep your power well-hidden!
Soon, Ji Fuyao and Lu Xuan returned to Azure Mystery Peak. Lu Xuan immediately handed the Grand Dao Scripture’s first volume jade slip to Ji Fuyao.
Ji Fuyao’s hands trembled, a look of disbelief on her face. This was the first volume of the Grand Dao Scripture! She had joined the Grand Dao Sect precisely for the Grand Dao Scripture! She never imagined that in just one month, she would possess the first volume. This was worth eight million contribution points!
Lu Xuan smiled. "Fuyao, take it. If you can comprehend the profound mysteries of the Grand Dao Scripture, your future achievements will be immeasurable!"
A deep emotion stirred within Ji Fuyao. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Master, why are you so good to me?"