When Dai Bufan awoke once more, he saw Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Daoist Xiantian squatting on the ground, their heads leaning forward as they watched him, confirming that everything that had happened was not a dream.
"Elder Brother Dai, you’ve finally awakened."
"Don’t call me senior brother, I don’t deserve such a title from a junior brother like you," Dai Bufan said as he got up, casting a gloomy glance at the two rascals, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
I asked you to go out and select a few disciples, and look what you’ve done, you’ve actually brought our founding ancestor with you.
Dai Bufan was always known for his calm and composure, otherwise, he couldn’t have managed the Task Hall or handled such a vast amount of intelligence information.
But he felt that ever since he met Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, his emotional fluctuations had significantly increased.
And now, his head was still spinning.
"Come on, Elder Brother Dai, let me help you up," Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou supported Dai Bufan, one on each side, and helped him back into his chair.
"Are you really the legendary founder, that lost Daoist Xiantian?" Dai Bufan was still in disbelief.
Although Lu Yang and the other had never deceived him before, the matter at hand concerned the founding ancestor, so he dared not make any mistakes.
After Daoist Xiantian started over after disbanding his cultivation, his appearance changed drastically, no longer matching the statue of the founding ancestor left behind by the Seek Dao Sect.
Daoist Xiantian, somewhat embarrassed, gestured with his hand: "It’s an exaggeration to describe me as legendary. My Daoist name is indeed Daoist Xiantian, but sadly, my identity proof was destroyed in a battle not long ago."
"A battle not long ago? What about your current cultivation level...?"
"I lost the fight, the injuries were too severe, and the only option was to start over after disbanding cultivation to seek a chance at survival. Luckily, I managed to live," said Daoist Xiantian lightly, although the situation at the time had been extremely dangerous.
Starting over after disbanding cultivation was not guaranteed to be successful, and to ensure a higher chance of success, it was best to disband one’s cultivation at one’s peak. For Daoist Xiantian to do so when he was severely injured meant that the chance of failure was greatly increased.
"Ancestor, you know your status is special, and I can’t make this decision alone," Dai Bufan said awkwardly. "How about this, I’ll take you to see Senior Sister Yun, and have her decide what to do?"
"Fine," Daoist Xiantian was an easygoing person.
Dai Bufan respectfully invited Daoist Xiantian to Sky Gate Mountain to find Yun Zhi, and before leaving, he turned back to glare at Lu Yang and the other: "You two, follow along!"
Lu Yang shook his head secretly, feeling that Elder Brother Dai was quite a hot-tempered man, with a poor disposition; he wondered how he had managed to cultivate to the Body Integration Realm.
In contrast, he himself dealt with the harassment of Fairy Eternity in the Spiritual Space every day and still managed to focus on his cultivation, the difference between them was clear.
...
Sky Gate Mountain.
Gan Tian, who had just consolidated his realm, had also been sent out on a mission by Elder Brother Dai, leaving only Yun Zhi on Sky Gate Mountain.
Yun Zhi, in a rare occurrence, was not cultivating but sat on an imperial chair, sipping tea in small mouthfuls.
The round stone table was surrounded by four imperial chairs, which made the table seem somewhat out of place.
As Yun Zhi sipped her tea, she considered whether to get a matching stone table from somewhere.
"Senior Sister Yun," Dai Bufan greeted her with his hands clasped together.
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"Hmm?" Yun Zhi put down her teacup, her gaze puzzled as she looked at the four of them.
Junior Brother Dai, Junior Brother Meng, Little Junior Brother, and a young man she had not seen before.
"There’s a matter that requires Senior Sister Yun’s decision," Dai Bufan said, tugging at the corners of his mouth, trying to maintain a serious expression as he explained the unfamiliar young man’s origins.
"So, you mean to say, this person is our founding ancestor, Daoist Xiantian, Qi Tongtian?"
Yun Zhi was also stunned for a moment after hearing the explanation, not expecting that the founding ancestor was still alive.
After pondering for a while, she asked earnestly, "Ancestor, do you wish to be Sect Leader?"
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"Ah? I’m to be the Sect Leader?" This time, it was Daoist Xiantian’s turn to be stunned. He had assumed that the present-day sect was just like those in the Great Yu Era, where people would go to any lengths to seize the position of Sect Leader.
He even worried that upon his return to the Seek Dao Sect, the members might not welcome another supreme ruler above them and would make things difficult or even attempt to do away with him.
He hadn’t expected that his junior would actually want him to take over as the Sect Leader directly.
"No, no, no, this won’t do," Daoist Xiantian waved his hands repeatedly, "Setting aside the fact that I’m just a mortal now, even if I regained my Body Integration Realm, I’d still be incapable of managing such a large sect."
The scale of the Seek Dao Sect now was worlds apart from when it was first established, and he had no idea how to manage it.
"That’s alright, Junior Brother also served as the Sect Leader for three months, and managing the Seek Dao Sect is quite easy."
Daoist Xiantian was even more surprised. Had the standards for becoming a Sect Leader really dropped this low? Someone at the Nascent Soul Stage could become a Sect Leader?
No, that wasn’t the right way to think about it. If this junior could defeat a Spirit Transformation cultivator while he was still at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and now had cultivated to the Nascent Soul Stage, wouldn’t his real combat power be comparable to the Body Integration Realm?
"I really can’t be the Sect Leader; you don’t have to be this way with me, just treat me as an ordinary disciple of the sect." Daoist Xiantian just wanted to focus on his cultivation, cast aside his past, and return to the Body Integration Realm.
"By the way, Eldest Senior Sister, the Golden Cicada Shedding that belongs to our Ancestor is currently in the hands of the Dynasty. Could you see if you could help retrieve it?" Lu Yang took the opportunity to ask.
"What’s the deal with the Golden Cicada Shedding?"
Lu Yang recounted the experiences of the Ancestor after waking up, naturally omitting the part where he and Old Meng had strung up the Ancestor.
Presumably, that memory wasn’t too pleasant for the Ancestor, so it was left unsaid in his presence.
Yun Zhi nodded, "I see, that shouldn’t be difficult."
"Does the Ancestor wish to meet with the high-ranking members of our sect?" Yun Zhi inquired further.
With the Ancestor being alive, such a significant event logically ought to be made known to the high-ranking members of the sect.
Daoist Xiantian gladly agreed, as it would be good to meet the outstanding juniors of the sect.
…
Soon, the eight Elders of the Seek Dao Sect gathered in the Task Hall. The stunning Sixth Elder was the exception; if she were to appear in her true form, it might suffocate Daoist Xiantian.
She only sent over a projection.
The eight Elders, having seen much of the world, were not only more advanced in cultivation than Dai Bufan but also had greater capacity for tolerance.
"Is this our Ancestor?"
"He looks so young."
"He doesn’t look like his statue."
"Nonsense, could he look the same after starting over with his cultivation?"
"Should we replace the Ancestor’s statue with a new one? I think the old one is quite worn out."
"Boss, look at you, digging graves all the time and yet never managed to dig up the Ancestor. Look at Little Lu and Little Meng, they found the Ancestor just by going out once."
"Who’s been digging graves? I call it field research, and even the tomb’s owner has consented to it."
"If the tomb’s owner could speak, it would be you lying in the coffin, Boss."
Suddenly, the Eighth Elder appeared to remember something and quietly approached Daoist Xiantian, asking softly, "By the way, Ancestor, are you still taking disciples?"
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"Ah?" Daoist Xiantian hadn’t quite grasped the situation yet when he heard the Eighth Elder eagerly touting himself.
"Don’t look down on me just because I’m ranked last among the Elders, it’s just because I joined the sect later. I am a Body Integration Realm powerhouse, after all, and an expert in the art of talismans. Just give me the nod, and you’ll have a late-stage Body Integration Realm disciple right away, one who bypasses the teaching process."
"What do you think of me?"
```