I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 167: Chapter 166 An Elder of the Sect

Yuan Qi quickly returned with an even uglier expression on his face.

"Master, not long after you came back, my junior brother fled the sect. Before leaving, he deceived the sect's treasure vault open and swept it clean!"

"Pff!"

Feng Yang, upon hearing the news, was so outraged that he could no longer suppress the ghostly energy within him. He spat out black blood, and his raven-black hair visibly turned to silvery strands at an alarming rate.

"Master, you must take good care of your health!" Yuan Qi, terrified, fell to his knees and repeatedly tried to comfort and reassure him.

"Heh! I was once just a fisherman, and by sheer luck, I caught the attention of my master and was taken in as a disciple. From Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, then to Golden Core, I have gone through countless battles and braved many storms in these four hundred years."

Feng Yang's voice was as cold as ice, "I never imagined I would capsize in such a small ditch and lose all my lifelong reputation in one fell swoop!"

Yuan Qi trembled with fear, feeling that his master might be falling into demonhood. His master had always doted on his junior brother, who had been so filial. Now everything had turned into hatred.

"Brother Tang, I was originally planning to invite you to join our sect when I was a few years older."

Feng Yang said, "But now that I have encountered a misfortune, I have lost at least thirty to fifty years of my life expectancy and could pass away at any moment. At this critical and turbulent time, I won't beat around the bush. What do you think, Brother Tang?"

Zhou Yi frowned slightly, his face showing hesitation. Enjoy more content from m-v l'e|-NovelBin.net

Perhaps the Ghost King Sect had left themselves a way out in advance, or maybe it was to retaliate against the overseas cultivators for meddling in the affairs of the Nine Continents. In any case, the Eastern Sea was no longer peaceful.

"This time, the battle between good and evil is unprecedented in scale. Where in the world is there a safe haven?"

It seemed that Feng Yang could see through Zhou Yi's thoughts and tried to persuade him, "The Four Seas are on the edge of the world, and Nascent Soul ancestors wouldn't bother with it. With your cultivation level, you should be more than capable of protecting yourself!"

Zhou Yi didn't immediately agree but instead asked, "Do you know if there is a limit to how far one can travel eastward in the Eastern Sea?"

"???"

Feng Yang looked utterly perplexed and even the nearby Yuan Qi showed a face of astonishment. They could hardly believe there was such a timid Golden Elixir True Monarch in the world!

"I don't know the extreme limits of the Eastern Sea; however, according to the records, there was a Nascent Soul ancestor who once ventured deep into the Eastern Sea. The farther east, the scarcer the land became, and the spiritual energy became increasingly thin, until reaching an absolute Land of Absolute Spirit!"

"I see."

Zhou Yi knew that there was no escaping it. He immediately switched to an excited and eager look and agreed, "If Brother Feng sincerely invites me, how could I decline? I am willing to join the Earth Fire Palace!"

It's rare to see someone change their demeanor so quickly!

Feng Yang was at a loss, not knowing whether it was right or wrong, but had no other choice. He ordered Yuan Qi.

"Take Elder Tang to the Hall of Spiritual Fire, prepare for the sect's celebration, and send out invitations throughout the Eastern Sea!"

Yuan Qi bowed deeply, accepted the order, and led Zhou Yi away from the restricted area.

Shortly after.

Yuan Qi returned to the central island and reported back to Feng Yang.

"Elder Tang is very satisfied with the Hall of Spiritual Fire and has inquired if he could look at the sect's classics, especially the Golden Core Stage Cultivation Techniques."

"I had long noticed that Elder Tang recently formed his Core and has not yet switched to a Golden Core Cultivation Technique. From this, I speculate he must be a Loose Cultivator who reached Core Formation, neither righteous nor demonic, which exactly fits the needs of the Earth Fire Palace."

Feng Yang instructed, "If you expect someone to protect the sect, then don't be stingy with the inheritance. Grant all the privileges of a Supreme Elder, not just the Golden Core Cultivation Techniques; even the Earth Fire Tempering Treasure Technique and the Earth Elemental Shield are allowed to be viewed."

"It's better to be generous and give them to Elder Tang now than to hide things, die, and let someone just take them later, uselessly creating resentment and estrangement."

Upon hearing these words, Yuan Qi expressed his concern, "Master, with Elder Tang's temperament, there's a good chance he'll be the first to flee if trouble arises."

"How could I not see that Elder Tang has the nature of a turtle?"

Feng Yang sighed, "Alas, with that traitor Huo Yan leaving the sect and my grave injuries, what other choice do I have? Instead of inviting a wolf into the house, it's better to bring in a turtle to hold down the fort and properly cultivate the next generation of disciples."

Yuan Qi then said, "After all, as a disciple who is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, it will be difficult to contend with Elder Tang for authority after Master passes away…"

"Once I pass away, you should directly seek support from Elder Tang; with your status as a direct successor of the sect and as the Sect Leader, you are certain to be put to good use,"

Feng Yang said, "Having Elder Tang take charge is not a bad thing; it will in fact bind him more tightly to the sect, and he will intervene to resolve dangers when they arise. You must remember, the continuation of the Earth Fire Palace's inheritance is far more important than any great authority!"

Yuan Qi bowed and said, "Disciple will heed your teachings."

"Elder Tang is nearly two hundred years old, and he could protect the Earth Fire Palace for three hundred years. If he cultivates a True Monarch during his tenure, our inheritance could extend for several more centuries,"

Feng Yang said, "After he passes away, everything he has acquired in life, whether it be inheritance, authority, or even the teachings he brought from the Nine Continents, will all be returned to the Earth Fire Palace!"

Yuan Qi pondered along these lines and soon realized what a 'bright stratagem' was; even if Elder Tang noticed something, he would not willingly give up the great authority of the sect.

"Master is brilliant!"

...

The following day,

Zhou Yi received the command of the Supreme Elder, a position second only to Feng Yang, even having the authority to summon Sect Leader Yuan Qi at will.

"To keep me bound, you really are willing to spend generously!"

"Sadly, even if you gave me a dozen Immortal Artifacts, I wouldn't hesitate to leave when it's time to slip away!"

Power unused is power wasted!

Zhou Yi immediately went to the Scripture Pavilion, selected his main cultivation technique, and still choosing the slow but steady path, he picked the Innate Pure Yang Scripture.

This cultivation technique was upright and majestic, emphasizing firm foundations and profound depth. Practice was slow but rarely met bottlenecks, and the Pure Yang mana had a significant restraining effect on evil and heretical powers.

The Earth Fire Tempering Treasure Technique, Earth Elemental Shield, and a secret technique called the Xuan Yuan Fire Control Technique from the opening of the sect were all recorded into the jade slip and brought back to the Hall of Spiritual Fire for contemplation.

The Hall of Spiritual Fire was located in the core area of the Earth Fire Palace, spread over ten acres and planted with exotic flowers and plants; even the paving stones on the ground were made from Spirit Vein materials. The corridors and pavilions were engraved with the Spirit Gathering Array Patterns, arranged in an extravagantly luxurious manner.

Ten miles away was the Mysterious Fire Hall, where Feng Yang usually resided. The two halls, one to the east and one to the west, stood equally without distinction, both guarding the sect in a cornered formation.

Over the years, Zhou Yi had come to a detailed understanding of the Earth Fire Palace. The central Spirit Vein fractured island was unsuitable for cultivation, but the islands built for palaces were for the Supreme Elders and True Disciples to practice, with ordinary disciples practicing on dozens of nearby small islands.

Not only were there disciples of the sect on the small islands, but also families of mortals associated with the sect, with a total population exceeding one hundred thousand.

Beyond, extending for three thousand miles of sea territory belonged to the Earth Fire Palace's influence. Each year, disciples patrolled the subordinate islands to test the Spirit Root aptitudes of newborns.

"The population under the Earth Fire Palace's rule adds up to no more than a million, which is nothing compared to Cloud Continent, not even comparable to Qian Jing; no wonder Eastern Sea Sect is always at risk of inheritance severance!"

Zhou Yi shook his head slightly, put these thoughts aside, and closed himself off for secluded cultivation of the Pure Yang Scripture.

...

Several months later,

Feng Yang had completely eradicated the ghostly energy, but there was no way to recover his diminished lifespan; he could only rely on consuming Life-Extending Elixirs in the future.

At the same time, the celebration for joining the sect began.

Unfortunately, only five True Monarchs were invited to the ceremony. It was not that someone bore ill will towards Zhou Yi, but rather, True Monarchs like Wan Bao were dispatched to the Nine Continents to eradicate demons. The price set by the orthodox sects was getting higher and higher, from Spirit Veins to scriptures, all the way to Core Formation or even Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects!

Zhou Yi stood on the high platform, accepting individual obeisances from True Disciples and a collective obeisance from ordinary disciples.

"Greetings to the Supreme Elder!"

"May Elder Tang enjoy endless blessings, safety in gold, and an evergreen path!"

Facing the tsunami-like cheers, becoming the hope of more than three thousand cultivators, Zhou Yi suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of mission and responsibility and quickly recited a heart-clearing spell to calm his excitement.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Honored One!"

"I am but a passerby who draws no karma and touches no causality!"