CHAPTER 184: 129. TO BECOME AN IMMORTAL, YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH MERIT (4K CHAPTERS)_2

Wise men need not repeat themselves. Xu Xing’s actions made his intentions very clear. He dared to break the silence only because Giant Sword Daoist Monarch and Kuimen Daoist Lord were Sect Seniors, and Giant Sword Daoist Monarch had previously expressed an interest in accepting a disciple. But if Giant Sword Daoist Monarch and Kuimen Daoist Lord had been Dao Lords from other sects, Xu Xing would have done as he said: remained silent, kept his head down, and not dared to utter a word.

Xu Xing still did not respond, only bowing a little lower than before.

This bow was a plea.

And it was a form of pressure.

A plea for Giant Sword Daoist Monarch to allow Xu Xing into the 36 Layer Heavenly Gate Array, so he could attempt the trials and win Kuimen Daoist Lord’s favor. It was also a plea for Giant Sword Daoist Monarch to bring up again the "karmic method" of accepting disciples.

Beyond that, it was pressure on Giant Sword Daoist Monarch to make a decision.

To let him in, or to keep him out!

Seemingly submissive, yet his true intentions were laid bare, leveraging the situation to press his case.

After a moment of silence, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch chuckled, looking at Kuimen Daoist Lord. "This disciple is skilled in diplomacy and strategic maneuvering. It seems it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to take Ren Yuanrui’s position one day."

He praised Xu Xing’s handling of the situation profusely.

Neither rash nor timid.

Extremely decisive!

A good strategist and quick to act!

Ren Yuanrui was the Sect Master of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace and belonged to the Master and Disciple Lineage. Both Ren Yuanrui and Giant Sword Daoist Monarch were Nascent Soul Daoist Lords. However, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch had greater seniority; he was already a Dao Lord when Ren Yuanrui had yet to mature, making him several generations senior to Ren Yuanrui.

Referring to Ren Yuanrui by his full name wasn’t an act of flaunting seniority. After all, having entered the master-disciple registry, their senior-junior relationship was formally established. This differed from ordinary disciples, whose status was determined by their cultivation realm.

"Are you intending to give Xu Xing a hand?" Kuimen Daoist Lord’s eyes flashed as he transmitted his voice to ask Giant Sword Daoist Monarch about his plans. "Within the Master and Disciple Lineage, there are currently seven Chiefs, all of them prodigies. Their cultivation is at least at the Returning Core realm... If you support Xu Xing, with your remaining lifespan, I fear you won’t be around to see him through. When that time comes, Xu Xing will be isolated and without aid, and your Giant Sword Lineage..."

Giant Sword Daoist Monarch’s Daoist Name, Giant Sword, was inherited from the Giant Sword Lineage. It was not his original Daoist Name. The same was true for Kuimen Daoist Lord.

"We haven’t reached that point yet." Giant Sword Daoist Monarch shook his head. "Song Knife possesses the Human King physique and reached the Dao Pill Realm within three hundred years. Xu Xing, with his Human Emperor Body, should be even faster. Back then, when Song Knife became Lingxiao’s disciple... he inherited the Lingxiao Sect. After Lingxiao’s death, didn’t Song Knife manage just fine?"

Song Knife was one of the seven Chiefs in the Master and Disciple Lineage.

"Song Knife..." Kuimen Daoist Lord snorted coldly. "After Lingxiao’s death, Song Knife lost the backing of a Dao Lord. You’ve been away from the Sect for so long, you wouldn’t know. To condense a First-Rate Dao Pill... Song Knife willingly served that scoundrel Wan Gui for a hundred years. With Lingxiao gone, affections cooled; I fear the same might happen to you in the future."

If Giant Sword Daoist Monarch were to pass away and Xu Xing sought Kuimen Daoist Lord’s help, if it were a minor matter, he might assist casually, as it would cost him little. However, for a significant issue, he would hesitate. Life without the backing of a Dao Lord was just that harsh.

"That’s a valid point." Giant Sword Daoist Monarch nodded. "But whether to contend or not, that’s not for us to decide. Lingxiao Dao Lord probably said similar things to Song Knife back then, but Song Knife was determined to strive for it..."

Lingxiao Dao Lord couldn’t have been unaware of the pros and cons of being a Chief. Yet, he still supported Song Knife’s rise to the position. There was only one possibility: Song Knife himself desired to contend for the Chief position, and by extension, aim for the Sect Master position of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace.

The two Daoist Monarchs exchanged thoughts with extreme speed. Only a brief moment had passed in the outside world.

"Xu Xing..." Giant Sword Daoist Monarch began. "Although I intend to accept you as my disciple, there’s something I must tell you first. You are a second-class preparatory true disciple who entered Inner Lingyin Peak. Had you not chosen The Eternal Green Dao Sutra as your primary cultivation method, do you realize that you likely wouldn’t be here at Sealed Demon Pan Palace now?"

Giant Sword Daoist Monarch didn’t rush to accept Xu Xing as his disciple but brought this matter up first. If he were to take Xu Xing as a disciple, it would be akin to poaching a disciple from Lingyin Peak. For ordinary Inner Sect disciples, the peaks might not mind. But clearly, Xu Xing, with his Human King physique and [Bright King Body], would be highly valued by Lingyin Peak. As long as Xu Xing "saw the error of his ways and returned," Lingyin Peak would certainly not refuse his entry into their master-disciple lineage. Even if he couldn’t become a disciple of a Dao Lord, becoming a True Monarch... wouldn’t be difficult.

"Xu Xing joined Lingyin Peak back then to honor a worldly agreement," Kuimen Daoist Lord added. "Since Lingyin Peak gave up on Xu Xing, he can’t be considered to have broken any pact."

When it came to the struggles for benefits among the upper echelons, it was somewhat inappropriate for Xu Xing to speak, no matter how he phrased it.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xing thought to himself, As expected. Lingyin Peak’s handling of him was much as he had surmised. The trouble had stemmed from his choice of The Eternal Green Dao Sutra as his primary cultivation method. Previously, limited by his low status, he couldn’t see the various sect matters clearly. Now, it seemed that his assignment as an external cultivator signified that Lingyin Peak had already given up on him once.

As for the supposed superior treatment at Lingyin Peak... Upon reflection, besides the three-acre spiritual field and the Great Sun True Scripture, which were direct benefits, the other perks, like a sinecure and a High-Grade Dinguang Talisman, were likely contingent upon him switching his cultivation to the Great Sun True Scripture. They were empty promises from Lingyin Peak.

And now, to leave Lingyin Peak and switch allegiance to Giant Sword Daoist Monarch—this couldn’t be considered a breach of agreement either. After all, Xu Xing had joined Lingyin Peak as agreed. If Lingyin Peak itself didn’t value him, how could Xu Xing be blamed? A ruler chooses his ministers, and ministers also choose their ruler.

It’s just a pity about that High-Grade Dinguang Talisman, Xu Xing sighed inwardly. Such a Dinguang Talisman was a rare treasure. In terms of value, it was no less precious than the Thousand-year Ganoderma Fruit he had consumed. It could have shortened his cultivation time in the Xuanguang Talisman realm and simultaneously enhanced his foundation.

"Thank you, esteemed Daoist Monarchs, for your protection of Xu Xing..." Xu Xing bowed deeply to Giant Sword Daoist Monarch, then changed the subject. "I am immensely grateful that the Daoist Monarch is willing to accept me as a disciple. However, Lingyin Peak once bestowed benefits upon me. For me to leave just like this, I truly feel uneasy."

If Giant Sword Daoist Monarch accepted him as a disciple, he couldn’t possibly do so without informing Lingyin Peak. There would surely be some form of compensation to Lingyin Peak to avoid creating enmity. Thus, Xu Xing’s words at this moment were merely to ensure Giant Sword Daoist Monarch understood that he was not some treacherous, ungrateful person.

"This is a simple matter..." Giant Sword Daoist Monarch inclined his head. "The Sect has long-established precedents for such situations. This Daoist Monarch will handle it accordingly."

Finding overlooked talents was a very common occurrence in the Flying Feather Immortal Palace. As long as one had not entered a master-disciple lineage or a Family Line, poaching them was not considered a breach of the rules.

Seeing this, Xu Xing immediately understood. He knelt down at once and addressed Giant Sword Daoist Monarch as Master.

This moment was different from before. Back in the 36 Layer Heavenly Gate Array, although everyone sensed Giant Sword Daoist Monarch’s intention to take him as a disciple, it was mere speculation, not an established fact. But just now, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch had personally affirmed his willingness to accept him. If Xu Xing were to remain obstinate, he would be spurning Giant Sword Daoist Monarch’s kind intentions.

"In my lifetime, I have accepted four disciples," Giant Sword Daoist Monarch looked at Xu Xing and sighed, saying. "Unfortunately... none succeeded in condensing a Dao Pill; they all perished. Although you are my fifth disciple, you are, in a way, my only disciple now."

Innate lifespan was two hundred years. Immortal Base lifespan, four hundred years. Returning Core lifespan, eight hundred years. Dao Pill lifespan, one thousand five hundred years. Nascent Soul lifespan, five thousand years. These lifespans weren’t fixed but didn’t vary greatly. The Returning Core lifespan was only eight hundred years, less than one-fifth of a Nascent Soul Daoist Lord’s. It was extremely common for the old to bury the young. And Giant Sword Daoist Monarch himself was a Nascent Soul Cultivator nearing the end of his lifespan; it wasn’t difficult to understand why he had no disciples left under his guidance.

Next came the grand ceremony: three bows and nine kowtows, serving tea to his Master, and the bestowing of a generation name. By the time all these formalities were concluded, half a day had passed.

"Twelve thousand years ago, Ancestor Xuancheng of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace was on the verge of ascending to the Upper Realm as an immortal. Unexpectedly, a heavenly thunderbolt from the Upper Realm struck down, severing Ancestor Xuancheng’s ascension. He was forced to become a Free Immortal."

"Later generations of ancestors searched for why the Upper Realm had severed our path of ascension..."

"It wasn’t until seven thousand years ago that Qingzheng Daoist chanced upon a Daoist Collection in a secret realm and finally learned the true way to become immortal."

"You must remember this." Giant Sword Daoist Monarch looked down at Xu Xing, who was kneeling on the ground, and transmitted his voice, saying: "This scripture is called the ’Supreme Resonance Scripture.’ The scripture states: ’He who seeks to become a Heavenly Immortal must perform one thousand three hundred good deeds; he who seeks to become an Earthly Immortal must perform three hundred good deeds.’"