The Dao of Reincarnation (454-455) (Patreon)

Chapter 454: Sun and Moon Illuminate Mountains and Rivers (Part 13)

Within the Mountains and Rivers Sect.

"Sect Master, Ling Jiuxiao has truly seized first place in the grand competition of the younger generation heavenly prides of the Sun and Moon Continent!"

Han Xiyue's expression was lively, filled with extreme excitement.

"What a lack of ambition. It is merely first place on a minor Sun and Moon Continent."

Su Chen did not even raise his head.

Han Xiyue: "..."

That was first place among the entire younger generation of the continent, with boundless future prospects.

"Sect Master... now our Mountains and Rivers Sect is also the foremost sect of the Sun and Moon Continent. The Sun and Moon Hall was destroyed by Ling Jiuxiao with the aid of the residual aura of a sword path powerhouse. Yet... can our Mountains and Rivers Sect truly sit securely in the position of the foremost force?"

At this moment, Han Xiyue felt as if she were walking a tightrope in midair, thrilling and perilous. One careless step into empty air would mean eternal damnation.

Su Chen showed not the slightest surprise. He said lightly, "Whoever dares to refuse to submit, simply have Ling Jiuxiao pay them a visit."

Han Xiyue looked at Su Chen's complete lack of astonishment.

"Could he have known all along?"

Thinking of the confident appearance Su Chen had shown before the battle, Han Xiyue felt this possibility seemed rather large.

"Yet... our Mountains and Rivers Sect is now the foremost force of the Sun and Moon Continent in name, while you as the deputy Sect Master are still only at the Profound Connection realm. That is truly too poor. It loses far too much face for the sect."

Su Chen sighed.

These words caused Han Xiyue to cry "woo-woo" and go wild with "meow-meow."

Yet soon Han Xiyue watched coldly from the side.

Because whether she spoke "woo-woo" or "meow-meow," without thinking, one could know that everything was this detestable fellow before her toying with her!

In the short span of three or four years, she had broken through from the Spirit Vein realm to a king of the Profound Connection realm. In the past, this would have been completely unimaginable. Now she was actually still being looked down upon!

Yet speaking of it, the present Mountains and Rivers Sect could be considered the foremost force of the Sun and Moon Continent in name... With her current cultivation, it seemed... indeed a bit low.

Han Xiyue calmed down and did not refute.

"Losing face for the sect is losing face for this Sect Master. Losing face for this Sect Master is unacceptable."

Su Chen waved his sleeve. An exquisite and small token floated before Han Xiyue.

He decided to help Han Xiyue open a cheat.

"So, what is this?"

Han Xiyue was curious.

Su Chen said, "This is the key to the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion. Exactly how much you can comprehend will depend on your own providence."

Han Xiyue grew even more curious. "But does the Scripture Pavilion not only have three floors?"

Su Chen waved a hand. "Once you go to the Scripture Pavilion, you will naturally know. Sometimes knowing too much means curiosity kills the cat."

When Han Xiyue opened her eyes once more, she appeared outside the rear mountain.

She felt that the youth's words seemed to have a pointed meaning.

At that moment, Su Chen said lightly toward the tree behind him, "Brat, stop hiding."

Ling Jiuxiao walked out from behind the tree. "Sect Master, this disciple has fortunately not failed the mission. After a great battle of three hundred rounds, covered in wounds from head to toe, I have finally completed the task entrusted by the Sect Master!"

Su Chen: "..."

"You little fellow, why did you not enter through the main gate and instead choose to sneak in?"

Seeing that the Sect Master had no intention of blaming him, Ling Jiuxiao rubbed his head and said, "Reporting to the Sect Master, this disciple has grown accustomed to taking other paths."

Su Chen did not dwell too much on this matter either. He merely smiled, and seven-colored rosy light appeared in his palm.

"This is the Seven Leaf Divine Tree that you need. You have completed the task. What this Sect Master promised you will naturally not be broken."

A divine object, a divine object capable of causing countless absolute powerhouses in this world to contend for it, had actually been casually given out.

Yet Ling Jiuxiao did not reach out to take it.

This caused the Elder in Ling Jiuxiao's mind to spin in circles. "Brat, quickly take the Seven Leaf Divine Tree into your hands."

Ling Jiuxiao said, "Elder, I am sorry."

The Elder: "?"

Ling Jiuxiao said, "This brat lives as a person of the sect and will die as a ghost of the sect. I am unwaveringly loyal to the sect."

The Elder: "What are you brat intending to do?"

Ling Jiuxiao then said, "Sect Master... in truth, this disciple requested the Seven Leaf Divine Tree not for myself, but for an old senior who has shown great kindness to this disciple."

Su Chen nodded slightly and could not help but laugh at the words Ling Jiuxiao spoke. "You little fellow are rather clever. As for that one in your mind, this Sect Master has long known of his existence."

The Elder in Ling Jiuxiao's mind suddenly felt a heartbeat... That was a sudden sense of suffocation, even though he currently did not even possess a body.

"He... he already knew of my existence?"

The corners of Su Chen's mouth lifted slightly as he said lightly, "Yet as a loyal disciple of the sect, as long as you do not harm the interests of the sect, this Sect Master will not interfere with the opportunities of sect disciples. That you can receive the guidance of an old senior is your opportunity.

"As for whoever has designs on you, there is no need for concern. This Sect Master will personally act."

Ling Jiuxiao let out a long breath of relief in his heart, while at the same time growing even more certain of a certain idea.

...

After leaving the rear mountain, the Elder's voice finally sounded in Ling Jiuxiao's mind. "You brat... were you trying to get this old man killed just now? This old man has treated you well these past days and repeatedly rescued you from fire and water."

In that instant, the Elder felt that even the last remnant of his soul was about to be frightened into fragments.

This brat had actually sold him out!

Ling Jiuxiao said sheepishly, "Elder, what this brat did was actually for your own good."

The Elder said unhappily, "This old man would like to hear how you brat were doing this old man any good?"

Ling Jiuxiao: "Elder, this brat suspects that the Sect Master is precisely that sword path powerhouse who acted in the Myriad Demons Realm. Your traces have long ceased to be a secret in the eyes of the Sect Master. If this brat did not take the chance to confess, I feared being misunderstood by the Sect Master."

The Elder chuckled coldly. "Whether what you brat said earlier is true or false, this old man does not know, but the final sentence is definitely the truth."

Wanting to change doors and cling to a new thigh was absolutely true!

How could he not know what this brat was thinking?

Ling Jiuxiao gave an awkward smile. "In any case, the Sect Master bears no malice toward you, Elder. He even gave you the Seven Leaf Divine Tree."

The Elder snorted. "Perhaps he is currying favor with this old man, wishing to form a good connection with this old man.

"Very well, very well. This old man will accept this intention."

Ling Jiuxiao: "..."

...

Within the rear mountain of the sect.

Su Chen gazed in the direction Ling Jiuxiao had left.

Correct. Just now, he had deliberately been "careless," adhering to the idea of giving the old grandpa in Ling Jiuxiao's mind a fright.

Looking at it now.

"It seems the knocking was still not enough. I need to find an opportunity to knock a bit more."

Yet the most urgent matter was not considering the old grandpa in Ling Jiuxiao's mind. The Mountains and Rivers Sect was now the foremost sect of the Sun and Moon Continent. Such strength was far too shabby. He could not afford to lose face.

Su Chen raised a hand slightly.

The old monsters of the Sun and Moon Continent all raised their heads in unison and looked toward the direction of the Mountains and Rivers Sect, their faces filled with shock.

"The vital energy of the entire continent... is gathering toward that place!"

Chapter 455: Sun and Moon Illuminate Mountains and Rivers (Part 14)

Mountains and Rivers Sect.

Spiritual rain continued to fall without cease. Even top-grade origin stones could not compare to a single breath of the vital energy concentration here.

The present Mountains and Rivers Sect could be called a cultivation sacred land among cultivation sacred lands. Yet the changes of the Mountains and Rivers Sect did not stop there.

Elder Yan was in seclusion cultivating when he was suddenly struck by a ball of light. A flash of spiritual insight arose in his mind, and his cultivation broke through to the Void Refining realm, comparable to the ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty.

His good fortune did not end there. When he went out on a mission, he saw a great mountain filled with spiritual light and subsequently discovered a fruit.

After swallowing one fruit, not only did he regain his youth, white hair turning to black, old age becoming youth, but his cultivation also broke through several layers.

Upon returning to the sect, he was finally able to comprehend one of the cultivation methods within the inner sect Scripture Pavilion... the Great Grade Heavenly Derivation Scripture, a Saint Scripture!

All of this nearly caused Elder Yan to faint completely from fright. He feared that everything was merely a dream, and that upon waking nothing would remain.

Fortunately, everything was not a dream.

Such good fortune was not limited to Elder Yan alone.

From the elders of the sect down to the menial disciples, everyone encountered greater or lesser opportunities, whether treasures, divine weapons, or cultivation methods.

Even the fire dragon that guarded the mountain gate had grown a full circle fatter these past few days from eating the grass by the roadside.

Heaven knew what bitter days it had endured in the Great Yan Dynasty. The food it ate had not even been as good as the grass of the outer sect.

Within the Scripture Pavilion.

A full year had already passed since Han Xiyue arrived at the Scripture Pavilion.

The Scripture Pavilion truly had a fourth floor.

The fourth floor could neither be seen nor touched.

Han Xiyue immersed herself within it. She sensed many things she could not understand laid out before her, things she could not comprehend even with all her strength.

Yet Han Xiyue was unwilling to give up. She knew there must be an enormous opportunity within.

...

Within the rear mountain.

Su Chen lightly sighed. "In the end, can it only reach this extent?"

The things within, as long as Han Xiyue could comprehend even the surface, would allow her to walk very far... Regrettably, both Han Xiyue's Talent and comprehension were far too poor. She was merely an ordinary person.

Some things ultimately could not be forced.

Su Chen pointed a finger.

In the end, he still chose to act once. As for how far Han Xiyue could ultimately walk, it could only depend on her own providence.

...

Within the Scripture Pavilion.

Suddenly, a flowing fire resembling a star descended and smashed into Han Xiyue's mind.

Han Xiyue vaguely sensed that something additional seemed to have appeared in her mind.

Moreover, her body seemed to have undergone some kind of change. She herself did not know what kind of change this was.

Yet less than a month after emerging from seclusion, her cultivation likewise broke through to the Void Refining realm.

The realm that her father, the previous Sect Master of the Mountains and Rivers Sect, had never broken through, even unto death, she had broken through so easily.

Han Xiyue's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She thought in her heart, "If only Father had chosen to persist a little longer back then."

...

Ling Jiuxiao also sensed the changes of the Mountains and Rivers Sect.

Take his recent luck, for example. Not only had he found the third fragment of the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art, but wherever he went, a massive opportunity awaited. This also caused Ling Jiuxiao's cultivation to soar rapidly.

Although previously he had also encountered an opportunity wherever he went, the frequency now seemed to have increased.

Ling Jiuxiao's cultivation successfully broke through to the Nirvana realm.

With the baptism of the Seven Leaf Divine Tree, the Elder could now manifest an illusory soul body and no longer remained only within Ling Jiuxiao's mind.

Late at night, Su Chen once again met Ling Jiuxiao. This fellow indeed never took the ordinary path.

A human figure drifted out from Ling Jiuxiao's body.

"Yuan Huang greets Dao Friend."

The Elder looked at Su Chen's completely unmoved appearance. He muttered in his heart, "Could it be that he has never heard this old man's name? That should not be."

Su Chen merely nodded slightly, then looked at Ling Jiuxiao and said, "You wish to leave the Sun and Moon Continent?"

Ling Jiuxiao nodded. "As expected, the Sect Master knows everything. With this brat's current cultivation, remaining on the Sun and Moon Continent makes it difficult to make further progress. Therefore, this brat wishes to leave the Sun and Moon Continent, go and see the heavenly prides of other places, and contend for a path of absolute strength."

Su Chen said slowly, "This is a good thing. That you wish to leave the Mountains and Rivers Sect to temper yourself is a path that every powerhouse must experience. Yet... you little fellow had best not bring shame to the face of the Mountains and Rivers Sect."

Ling Jiuxiao said, "Sect Master, rest assured. This brat will certainly not bring shame to the Sect Master's face."

Su Chen felt this little fellow was rather perceptive. Perhaps he could be considered for cultivation as the next Sect Master.

Ling Jiuxiao pulled out a branch from behind him. "This is an item belonging to the Sect Master. This brat was fortunate enough to pick it up. Now it should be returned to its rightful owner."

A trace of reluctance remained in Ling Jiuxiao's eyes. Yet he knew that this power, capable of casually slaughtering saints, ultimately did not belong to him. If he grew too dependent on this power, he would ultimately fall into the lower ranks.

Su Chen swept a glance and then said, "No matter. There remains only this Sect Master's final strand of sword qi within. If you encounter a moment of crisis, it may still be able to protect your life. When sect disciples are outside, having a few more methods is good."

Ling Jiuxiao's expression brightened at these words. He knew full well the power of the branch. A force that slaughtered Great Saints as if slaughtering dogs was absolutely the best life-saving method.

At the very least... it was more reliable than that old fellow in his mind.

After leaving the rear mountain, the Elder was still sunk in doubt at this moment.

"Why does this fellow not recognize this old man's name?"

Facing the Elder's incomprehension, Ling Jiuxiao tugged at his face. "Perhaps... Elder, your reputation in this era has gradually been buried and become history."

The Elder said, "This is impossible! Brat, once you leave the Sun and Moon Continent, you will know what kind of figure this old man is!"

Ling Jiuxiao responded with a "heh."

Yet in the end, he still set foot on the path of leaving the Sun and Moon Continent and beginning a new journey!

...

Mountains and Rivers Sect.

Three years had already passed since Ling Jiuxiao left the Sun and Moon Continent.

Within the rear mountain, all the animals and plants trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground. They felt that in a certain instant they had nearly vanished from this world.

The source of all this was merely a youth sitting on a cliff at the peak of the sea of clouds.

Su Chen opened his eyes and looked down upon the entire world. At this moment, his cultivation had finally stepped into an entirely new realm, the Emperor realm. Yet his Emperor realm did not cause the slightest tremor across the universe. He no longer needed external phenomena to prove anything. He himself was "Heaven"!

Su Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at a tree below.

At that moment, the tree actually trembled slightly.

"Discovered... has he discovered me?"

Fortunately, that gaze quickly shifted away from the tree.

Su Chen's gaze looked into the distance. Faintly, in a distant direction, a shooting star fell from a golden ocean.

"A True Immortal reincarnation..."