Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 714 (Patreon)

Chapter 714: Suspicion

As innate Dao-attainers of the Tai Xuan Realm, He, Gu, and Tai each had one chance to steal the Tai Xuan authority and turn the Tai Xuan Realm’s power into their own.

A few years ago, that was exactly what happened.

He laid the groundwork in advance, planting “Homeward Dao Anchors” across the myriad heavens and worlds of the Chaos Sea. Then, using that opportunity to steal the Tai Xuan authority, He expelled four human True Immortals—Sword Ancestor, Sword Sovereign, Daoist Yuanjun, and Lord Hong—out of the Tai Xuan Realm in one sweep.

Back then, Tai’s cultivation was inferior to His, so perhaps Tai couldn’t pull off something on that scale.

But with how profound and mysterious the Tai Xuan authority was, if Tai had truly used it, then even under the siege of the human True Immortals, scraping together a sliver of hope to survive should have been possible.

Yet all the way until Tai fell, no one ever saw Him use it.

Was it used somewhere else?

Or…

Had it already been used, and He simply never noticed?

At that thought, something indescribable flickered through Xuan’s eyes.

He raised a hand, grasped the light of tribulation lightning before him, and stowed it away. Then he lay down by the lakeside with both hands behind his head.

Still, it didn’t quite add up.

If Tai had really survived by stealing the Tai Xuan authority, then why hide from Him and Gu?

Back then, He and Gu had indeed clashed, but as the threat of the ever-growing human race loomed larger, those conflicts gradually eased.

He remembered that Tai and Gu ultimately reconciled!

And most importantly, even if Tai hadn’t completely perished, He had no motive or reason to interfere with the Dao-attainment process.

“If only I could go to Qingxu…”

Tai had fallen in Qingxu.

That was witnessed jointly by Him, Gu, Tian, and the thirteen True Immortals of Tai Xuan.

If there truly were doubts around Tai’s demise, a trip to Qingxu might reveal something unusual.

Unfortunately…

Sword Ancestor blocked the way.

Not to mention Qingxu—He would struggle even to approach the Central Continent, or to cross the Starfront Battlefield.

The only method was to have the Gu who had merged with the past go investigate.

But…

“Let’s talk about it later.”

With a soft sigh, He closed his eyes.

…

…

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.

What had happened also spread within the small circle of Star Territory Wardens—

A Soul Transformation Cang race member had attempted to attain the Dao.

No wonder! No wonder two True Immortal seniors had appeared, and no wonder even Sword Ancestor had personally come to the Starfront Battlefield.

After learning the full sequence of events, some Star Territory Wardens couldn’t help but feel pressured by this incident.

Sure, this attempt ended in failure—but what about the next one?

In fact, they’d heard before that “Dao Soldiers” were refined from “Dao Slaves” formed when Soul Transformation Cang race members failed to ascend.

Even then, they knew there were such attempts… but it wasn’t the same as witnessing it firsthand.

So during these past two weeks, while the Starfront Battlefield saw no major clashes, the tension between the two sides had visibly tightened.

Still—

Only the atmosphere at the Starfront Battlefield had changed. Elsewhere, everything remained as usual.

Soul Transformation or not. Dao-attainment or not. Even supreme laws and such…

To the vast majority of people, all of it was simply too distant.

“I still don’t have any leads. Next, I might go to Qingxu and take a look.”

On a mountainside stairway within the Sword Sect inner grounds, halfway up the peak where Sword Ancestor’s main hall was located, two figures walked side by side.

They were none other than Xu Xing and Bie Xuening.

“Qingxu?” Bie Xuening didn’t understand.

Why go to Qingxu? “Don’t tell me you suspect this matter is connected to ‘Tai’?”

Qingxu was where Tai had fallen.

If her junior brother chose this moment to go there, his goal was obvious.

“Did you notice something?” she asked.

“Not exactly.” Xu Xing shook his head slightly, then explained, “I just want to look around. Maybe I’ll find something.”

Even if he found nothing, there would be no loss.

“Based on what we know, we can be sure the anomaly during that Soul Transformation Cang race member’s Dao-attainment wasn’t caused by an external influence.”

“But the ones who could interfere from within while also deceiving both me and Xuan are only a handful.”

“Gu and Tian are out of our reach right now, so we might as well check Qingxu.”

Tai had already fallen, but no matter what, He had once been one of the Cang race’s Four Ancestors. Even if He had no motive or reason to do such a thing…

Still, the same point stood: even if nothing turned up, there would be no loss.

“Why can’t it be Xuan?” Bie Xuening suddenly said.

“Xuan…” Xu Xing frowned slightly. “Probably not.”

When that Soul Transformation Cang race member attempted to attain the Dao, Xuan had immediately lifted his restrictions on the transcendent order, all so the attempt could proceed smoothly without backlash.

After a brief pause, Xu Xing amended his words:

“But it can be suspected that way.”

Given what they currently knew, in terms of both motive and capability, only “Tian” fit both conditions.

But that was only under the premise of “what they knew”!

As for the Cang race themselves, they didn’t actually understand much—especially about the far more distant primordial era.

Up to now, there was only one thing they could confirm—

Gu had witnessed Xuan’s birth!

That had been confirmed earlier because Xu Xing had obtained a fragment of true history.

In terms of capability, any of the four Dao-attainers of the Cang race could conceal themselves from external probing and disrupt a Soul Transformation Cang’s Dao-attainment from within.

“True. Earlier, I was thinking too narrowly. Thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister.”

Maybe there were unknown reasons at play, after all.

“Mm.”

Bie Xuening’s face showed no extra emotion, but it was easy to imagine she was quite pleased inside.

As they spoke, the two reached the foot of the mountain.

They saw dozens of figures already waiting in the plaza below.

Men and women alike, their cultivation was roughly at Return to the Void peak. At the front stood a man in a black trench coat, his features about seventy percent similar to Lord Hong.

He was also the only Integration realm cultivator present.

“Junior Hong Sheng greets Sword Ancestor Senior and Sword Sovereign Senior.”

Seeing the two appear, Hong Sheng bowed respectfully.

The others behind him did the same, but compared to Hong Sheng’s strong voice, they looked listless.

Bie Xuening swept her gaze over them once, then vanished.

Only Xu Xing remained, walking calmly up to them, his eyes passing over each person.

Body cultivators, spell cultivators, artifact refiners, alchemists…

Every single one here had once been a prodigy of the immortal sects—people who had risen to fame in that era when they competed with Yuan, only to suffer crushing blows and fall into long-term stagnation.

Originally, Lord Hong’s plan had only involved the Supreme Dao Sect, but after the other True Immortals heard about it, they too became interested and sent over the prodigies from their own sects who had been “beaten down” by Yuan.

About that…

Hong Sheng was honestly helpless. This “match” between him and Yuan was obviously going to be a one-sided beating.

And now, the scene of him getting beaten in every possible way would be watched by all these people…

His old man really wasn’t human!

“Thank you for the trouble, Senior.”

“Come with me.”

As the words fell, everyone felt their vision blur.

When their sight cleared again, they found themselves in a boundless, white, misty space with no visible end.

Before they could react, a figure in a black coat with black hair and violet eyes appeared opposite them.

Yuan!

The moment they recognized him, everyone stiffened. Then their expressions turned strange as they glanced at Hong Sheng.

Only now did they realize the two of them even dressed somewhat similarly…

Yuan didn’t care about their reaction. He simply chuckled lightly.

“Everyone, long time no see.”

His voice was clear and bright, echoing through the white expanse. It was a casual greeting, yet it made the crowd go rigid.

Aside from Hong Sheng, none of them even dared raise their eyes to meet his gaze.

“…”

Damn! A bunch of idiots!

Hong Sheng cursed inwardly.

When he went to see them earlier, they were all listless and ignored him. Now the moment they saw Yuan, they turned into quails!

Taking a deep breath, Hong Sheng stepped forward. His face was taut as he cupped his hands and bowed.

“Please instruct me!”

Yuan returned the salute, looking exceptionally relaxed.

“Brother Hong, you’re too polite.”

Once upon a time, he couldn’t stand Hong Sheng, and he hated even more that look of arrogant contempt, as if no one was worth his attention.

Not to mention the way this guy used to say, again and again, “You’re not worthy of Wanzhu.” How could Yuan possibly have a good impression of him?

Times changed. Yuan was already Soul Transformation, while Hong Sheng had only just reached Integration. These years brought many experiences, and naturally one’s mindset would change…

Yeah, right.

He wasn’t that magnanimous. Even now, he still found this guy unpleasant.

It was just that Hong Sheng acted openly. He was arrogant, sure, but he never used dirty tricks—he always came at Yuan head-on.

And soon after Hong Sheng reached Integration, he went straight into seclusion, so Yuan never found a chance to beat him up.

But today…

This was Hong Sheng bringing himself over to get beaten. He couldn’t blame anyone else!

“Brother Hong, you go first. We’ll stop at the point of victory.” Yuan smiled gently.

But for some reason, seeing that smile made Hong Sheng’s skin crawl.

He told himself it was just old psychological shadows. He steadied his mind.

“Fine!”

Boom!

Vast, surging power swept in all directions like a flood. As his five fingers formed a seal, a speck-like mysterious light flared.

In an instant, deep ink-blue and dark-violet radiance spread out. Within the flowing bands of darkness, it was as though tiny starlike fragments swirled and vanished, releasing a strange, heart-palpitating fluctuation.

Innate Divine Technique—Skyvoid Unfixed Great Thousand Profound Light!

Where the light shone, the great thousand became unstable, reality across the cosmos turned false, and the structures of all arts and divine abilities collapsed, returning to the purest heaven-and-earth spiritual energy.

With this technique, Hong Sheng had been nearly unmatched before Nascent Soul. Even in Soul Transformation, he could dominate. Even after reaching Return to the Void, few cultivators could contend with him!

But he also relied too heavily on this Innate Divine Technique, leaving his foundation unsteady—one step weaker than the very top prodigies of the immortal sects.

That was why after Return to the Void, his cultivation gradually got left behind.

And that was also why, later on, Lord Hong chose to seal the vast majority of Zhao Ruoming and Zhao Ruohan’s Innate Divine Technique power.

Hong Sheng’s example had already proven it: mastering an overly powerful divine technique too early could actually hinder one’s own cultivation.

Wooo—

Amid an eerie cry, a dark-violet fist seal formed, carrying enough force to shake the world as ripples spread outward, and it shot toward Yuan, who still looked utterly composed.

Knowing his opponent’s realm far surpassed his own, Hong Sheng held nothing back. The moment he moved, he went all out!

“Seeing Brother Hong’s divine technique again after so many years… it really is moving,” Yuan said softly.

Yuan raised his right hand and lightly pointed.

The fist seal dispersed at once, as easily as puncturing something fragile.

Hong Sheng’s heart turned bitter. He had just opened his mouth to speak when he saw a fist rapidly filling his vision—

“I…!”

Bang!

A terrifying force tore through his power and shattered his body. Even his Integration physique couldn’t withstand that single blow. In the next moment, his head burst apart and turned into drifting gray mist.

Hiss—

The people behind him sucked in cold breaths, staring at Hong Sheng’s headless body as gray mist continued to spill away, their scalps tingling.

After all these years, had Yuan started fighting this ruthlessly?

Across from them, Yuan looked at his own fist, somewhat unsatisfied. But when he noticed Hong Sheng was already restoring himself, anticipation surged in him again.

…

…

“He really doesn’t hold back.”

At the residence the Sword Sect arranged for Yuan.

A light screen floated in midair, showing the scene of Hong Sheng getting taken down in a single punch, while the crowd gasped in shock.

Mingyu’s expression was complicated as she looked to the side at Ning Wanzhu.

“It’s because of what happened back then, right?”

Among Ning Wanzhu’s many suitors, Hong Sheng was one of the more “famous” ones.

Not because he was “a True Immortal’s son,” but because he was the one who kept saying it out loud.

According to Listening Rain Pavilion’s intelligence—

Their first meeting was at the immortal sect tournament. Hong Sheng took one look at Ning Wanzhu and was stunned. After the tournament ended, he pursued her intensely.

But Ning Wanzhu felt nothing for him. After all, their age gap was huge—she only saw Hong Sheng as a kid.

When Hong Sheng realized that, he was heartbroken, but he didn’t cling or pester.

Until later, when Ning Wanzhu fell for Yuan—someone even younger…

“Honestly, you saw Hong Sheng as a kid, so how did you end up liking Yuan later?” Mingyu asked.

“…It’s different,” Ning Wanzhu said softly, her cheeks faintly red.

When she caught the teasing in Mingyu’s eyes, she lifted her head.

“And don’t you like Yuan too!”

Mingyu stiffened her neck. “I never said I don’t like someone younger than me!”

At that, Yin Ling—sitting at the table, legs swinging while she stared at her phone—suddenly turned around, eyes innocent.

“Isn’t that like… an old cow eating tender grass?”

Mingyu: “…”

Ning Wanzhu: “…”

A little bit “broken” by that, the two exchanged a look and tacitly pretended they hadn’t heard her, dropping the topic without continuing.

“Is it?” Yin Ling asked again, still curious.

Mingyu couldn’t hold it anymore and replied seriously, “No. This is mutual affection.”

“Oh.”

Having gotten an answer, Yin Ling didn’t press further. She trusted the two mistresses a lot—after all, the master trusted them too.

So she didn’t overthink it, looked back up, and continued watching the floating light screen.

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