Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Regret! Oh, The Regret!
The man who appeared had a face as gaunt as an ancient pine. Between his brows was a vertical, purple-gold mark that seemed on the verge of opening, as if it held half a Celestial Tribulation within.
Most terrifying of all were his eyes, deep as a clear pool. The very air seemed to solidify wherever his gaze fell.
Xu Yunfan’s Dragon Scale Armor Leaves vibrated silently, spurred by the man’s gaze into automatically manifesting a defensive posture. But what made his blood run cold was that despite having cultivated the Linn Character Technique for so long, he hadn’t detected the slightest trace of the man’s aura before he appeared.
’I would probably only be able to sense him after entering the Linn Character State and gaining perfect control over the ten-meter radius around me.’
’This old Daoist... he’s probably achieved the Celestial Human Form!’
"Senior Brother?!" Bi Sheng hurriedly performed a deep bow, the hem of his Daoist robe stirring as if in a nonexistent wind.
Xu Yunfan’s thumb pressed hard against the hilt of his Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace, but cold sweat had already soaked his undergarments.
This old Daoist emanated no oppressive aura, but the way he blended into the world, revealing no trace of his presence, was even more terrifying.
"There’s no need to be so tense, young friend."
Bi Yuan chuckled lightly. "This old Daoist is Bi Yuan. I merely wish to ask about the matter of the Secret Realm..."
Bi Sheng, who was standing to the side, suddenly coughed dryly. He took a step forward, blocking Bi Yuan’s line of sight to Xu Yunfan. Bi Yuan looked somewhat surprised, but a faint smile soon touched his eyes.
He glanced at Lin Qingxuan, who had hastily stood up beside him with her head lowered.
"You... you’re just like your master. So lazy the morning bells can’t even wake you. The Profound Celestial Mirror is still out, and you’re already rushing off for tea. Have you even done your afternoon lessons?"
Lin Qingxuan flinched, her fingertips twisting the wrinkled cloud patterns on her Daoist robe. She gave a dry laugh. "Sect Leader-Uncle... good afternoon."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, not even disturbing the Copper Crane Incense Burner by the Five Luminaries Altar.
Bi Yuan’s wide sleeves hung down. The constellations subtly embroidered on his cuffs seemed to flicker in and out of sight with each breath he took.
Xu Yunfan could see clearly that Bi Yuan’s equipment was the height of luxury. Even his Daoist robe was woven from some unknown metallic thread. It appeared to flutter elegantly, but its defensive capabilities were likely not much weaker than full plate armor, perhaps even comparable to the Dragon Scale Armor he himself wore. The craftsmanship was truly celestial.
The Taoist Sect had an ancient heritage. Though its line had been broken from time to time, it had ultimately endured, bridging the past to the present for nearly ten thousand years. Its foundations were astonishingly deep.
Bi Yuan’s gaze swept over the center of the Five-Colored Sacrificial Soil, where a few wisps of cloud-like vortexes—remnants brought out by the portal as the Secret Realm collapsed—still lingered.
"Now that the Little Heaven and Earth is destroyed, the day of those ’things’ arriving should be delayed for some time."
His voice carried a distinct note of relief.
A flicker of emotion crossed Bi Sheng’s face before he sighed. "This is all the work of that old witch. With the Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit stirred up now, it just creates more unpredictability."
Bi Yuan gave a helpless smile. "This is the will of Heaven. We can only follow its course and do our part."
"The will of Heaven again..."
The veins beneath Bi Sheng’s Daoist hat throbbed.
He was on the verge of roaring the words his master had spoken before his passing: "Since when have we cultivators of the Taoist Sect become Heaven’s sycophants?" But he seemed to recall something, and the urge ultimately dissolved into a sigh that tasted of copper rust.
After Bi Yuan left, Bi Sheng composed himself and walked over to Xu Yunfan. His gaunt fingers clutched the handle of his duster so tightly that his knuckles made soft cracking sounds beneath his robe.
He stared at the gilded Blood Qi circulating around the young man before him. The sharp aura being drawn in and expelled through Xu Yunfan’s very pores was so intense he could hardly keep his eyes open. How long had it been since he had seen such flourishing vitality?
With a pleasant expression, he asked, "Xu the Kid, do you currently have a master?"
Xu Yunfan replied, "I am currently a disciple of the Weapon Casting Hall at Celestial Craft Cave."
"The Weapon Casting Hall?!"
Bi Sheng’s voice suddenly jumped an octave, knocking his Daoist hat askew.
"You know, smithing, forging weapons... sometimes going down into the mines to dig for ore and whatnot."
"Smithing... mining..."
Bi Sheng suddenly jumped up and yanked his own beard, completely oblivious to his crooked Daoist hat.
"A monstrous waste of talent!!"
His throat suddenly felt tight as he recalled the words he’d uttered back on Jiyun Mountain, at the border of the Eight-Hundred-Mile Desolate River Ice-Plains.
"This boy’s constitution is impure and his aptitude is low. If he even manages to touch the threshold of the Martial Dao, it would be a blessing from all his ancestors!"
The memory bit into him like a venomous snake.
Back then, he had looked down on Xu Yunfan from his high perch, declaring that Li Haomiao, who possessed True Blood from a True Immortal Bloodline, and Fang Mushan, who was exceptionally talented with the strength of a titan, were the kind of promising prospects the Taoist Sect needed.
Now, those two were still languishing in the Outer Three Harmonies Realm. Fang Mushan hadn’t even had the slightest reaction yet from cultivating the Pure Yang Qi Skill and breathing in Spiritual Qi. Yet this "Stubborn Stone" before him had already achieved Washing Marrow into Gang!
Now, it felt like a burning slap across his own face.
Xu Yunfan watched with cold eyes as Bi Sheng’s face twisted in regret. He found it absurd. The image of the old Daoist from years ago, sitting high in his Cloud Chariot and looking down upon the masses, now overlapped with his current pathetic display of beating his chest and stamping his feet. The sight was somehow even more satisfying than when he had hammered Zhou Tianyan to death.
Bi Sheng suddenly leaped up and slapped his thigh, so full of regret he could have kicked himself.
The old Daoist violently slammed his duster on the ground and stamped his foot, leaving a half-inch-deep print in the bluestone slab. "What does that old fool Zhan Yan know! He’s using a celestial pillar as a fire poker!"
Bi Sheng couldn’t restrain himself any longer. "Have you considered changing your allegiance?"
As he said this, his old face flushed an almost imperceptible shade of red. He was the one who had once said Xu Yunfan’s aptitude was laughably poor, that becoming a Martial Artist at all would be a once-in-a-lifetime blessing for his ancestors...
Xu Yunfan’s expression changed instantly. He said in a low voice, "Daoist, you must be joking. I am a disciple of Hall Master Zhan Yan of the Weapon Casting Hall, and a True Disciple of Celestial Craft Cave. How could I possibly change my allegiance?"
’In the Mortal World, if he were to truly switch sects, he would be endlessly badmouthed. The story would spread, and anywhere he went, anyone who recognized him would call him a faithless turncoat...’
Besides, his master, Zhan Yan, treated him like a son, holding nothing back and giving him everything he could. He naturally had no intention of leaving.
Hearing Xu Yunfan’s unhesitating refusal, Bi Sheng felt a pang of regret, but the look of appreciation in his eyes only deepened.
With his discerning eye, he could naturally see that Xu Yunfan cultivated the ultimate skills of several top-tier sects. And coming out of the Secret Realm, he was radiating killing intent.
Given the Taoist Sect’s intelligence network, they were naturally aware of the structure of the Little Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, as well as the fact that sects like the Nine Radiance Sect and the Profound Daoist Sect had opened their own entrances and sent many disciples inside.
What Xu Yunfan had been up to in there was self-evident.
It went without saying what kind of immense fortuitous encounters he must have had to go from such humble beginnings to his current state in just two short years.
The Daoist Sect valued innate talent, but it valued fortuitous encounters even more. As for what Xu Yunfan had done before, Bi Sheng couldn’t care less. As long as Xu Yunfan’s character was sound, nothing else was a problem.
Xu Yunfan could tell that Bi Sheng had seen right through him. Now that he had become a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, as long as... as long as...
A heavy feeling settled in Xu Yunfan’s heart. He had just raised his martial power to its absolute peak to handle any dangers upon exiting the Secret Realm. It would have been fine in front of a Grandmaster of Refining the Internal Organs, but being watched by a Supreme Grandmaster of the Nine Realms Qi Cultivation, he had inevitably revealed his hand.
The regret Bi Sheng felt at this very moment was immense.
He wished he could slap himself across the face. He’d prided himself on his sharp eye his entire life, only to be completely blinded when it came to choosing a disciple.
Compared to Xu Yunfan, the two he had accepted before, Li Haomiao and Fang Mushan, seemed incredibly foolish. Now that he thought about it, even their faces seemed much uglier.
