After all, they weren’t worthy of visiting the Mystery Dao Sect. Lin Jin noticed that they weren’t planning to go with him. Before this, Zuo Men and Huang Shi Sanren stood loyally by his side against a superior number of hostile immortals. This alone convinced Lin Jin that they were worth befriending.
“If you treat me as a friend, let’s visit the Mystery Dao Sect together. Even if you have other concerns, let’s talk about them after the visit.”
Lin Jin stopped them from leaving. Finding it hard to refuse his kindness, Zuo Men and Huang Shi Sanren nodded in agreement.
Truth be told, they were anxious as the Mystery Dao Sect was a profound and orthodox immortal sect. On any other day, disciples from these sects wouldn’t even look at them. Now that they were being treated as guests of honor, they would be lying if they said they weren’t excited.
Liu Xuanji maintained a courteous attitude throughout the entire journey. He also used this sect’s transmission spell to inform the sect of their arrival.
Somewhere inside the Mystery Dao Sect, Chen Xuankong was cultivating.
He held a fairly high position within the sect. Although he was only a disciple, he was one of the best the sect had to offer. Just like the other sects whose grandmasters have perished in the great tragedy, the only powerful being left among them was Miao Yan Zhenren.
Aside from Miao Yan Zhenren, the sect was supported by elders who were of half immortal status. Chen Xuankong was ranked number two among the disciples so he was naturally considered as one of the sect’s supporting pillars.
Just then, someone called for him from outside, “Senior Xuan Kong, Sect Leader has ordered you to come to Xuan Heng Hall at once.”
“Did something happen?” Chen Xuankong was surprised. Logically speaking, Miao Yan Zhenren would never ask for him if nothing major happened.
“I heard it’s about a valued guest.” The disciple was unaware of the details either.
“Valued guest?” Chen Xuankong was confused. However, it wasn’t long before a delighted look surfaced on his face, as if he had figured out the mystery.
“Could it be…”
With that possibility in mind, Chen Xuankong wasn’t in the mood for cultivation anymore. He got up at once and turned into a flash of light. He left the training ground for Xuan Heng Hall as instructed.
Waiting inside the great hall was Miao Yan Zhenren. Aside from him, the presentable elders and disciples were all making their way over as well.
“Greetings, Sect Leader,” greeted Chen Xuankong with a salute upon arrival.
“Xuankong!” Miao Yan Zhenren smiled. “We’ve received a message from Xuanji, claiming that he’s coming with the disciple of an unfettered immortal. Just as you said, he’s here to visit us.”
“Is the guest named Lin Jin?”
“Indeed, that is the name mentioned in the message.”
“That’s it!” After a thought, Chen Xuankong asked, “I heard that Junior Xuanji has gone to the Immortal Empress Spirit Pond. How did he come across Lin Jin?”
Miao Yan Zhenren’s expression fell solemn. “Xuanji says that Lin Jin had used a phenomenal ability to drain the spirit pond, leaving nothing for everyone else.”
Chen Xuankong raised a brow upon hearing this.
“That’s impossible. The spirit pond’s water is the most mysterious immortal artifact left behind by the immortal empress. Although that immortal artifact is destroyed, no one has ever succeeded in removing it. The pond gathers spirit water only once every century, and its weight can never be predicted. At most, your average immortal can only capture a small vial’s worth of spirit water. Even those with a higher degree of cultivation can only gather slightly more through the use of magic treasures. To date, we’ve never heard of someone who’s able to drain everything. It’s just absurd.”
Miao Yan Zhenren nodded. “That’s right. I’ve gone to retrieve the spirit water in the past. Back then, Xuan Yue Zhenren of the Immortal Cloud Sect and I got one-third each, while the remaining spirit water was left to the loose immortals. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to take everything away.”
Miao Yan Zhenren knew full well that a unique restriction had been placed on the spirit water. It was near impossible for someone to take it all for themselves.
However, exceptions were bound to arise.
Today was the exception.
“We can only say that Lin Jin is a remarkable individual. He might have retrieved the spirit water on the order of his master,” speculated Miao Yan Zhenren.
Having said that, his thoughts began to run wild as he muttered to himself, “Ever since the great tragedy, no unfettered immortal exists in this world. Just how powerful is Curator to be able to survive? Also, I’ve never heard of such an immortal in the extraterritorial zone. Where has he been this whole time? Could he be in the mainlands? But if he was, how did he avoid detection by the immortal devouring beast?”
They had so many questions but no answers. Even a profound immortal like Miao Yan Zhenren was troubled by this.
Just then, a unique pressure blew over and the immortals were stunned. Then, they hurried forward just in time to see a young man appear at the hall’s entrance.
He appeared to be twelve or thirteen. Despite the simple clothes he wore, he exuded a unique aura.
The young man had such a pale complexion that he almost seemed sickly.
Despite all this, Miao Yan Zhenren acted respectfully to this young man, which was evidenced when he came forward to salute him.
“Mr. Qi, why are you here?”
“Greetings, Mr. Qi!” Chen Xuankong and the other disciples saluted.
Outsiders would have been shocked and confused by this scene. The disciples of the Mystery Dao Sect, on the other hand, were all aware of Mr. Qi’s status within their organization.
Mr. Qi wasn’t an ordinary immortal. Strictly speaking, he was a monster immortal, and a special one at that. He and Miao Yan Zhenren’s master, Great Immortal Shang Xuan, fought the same battles as comrades. Since three thousand years ago, he was the immortal beast in charge of protecting the Mystery Dao Sect and he consumed the offerings prepared by the sect’s disciples.
During the great immortal tragedy, he some of the sect’s disciples with all his might and helped them escape from the jaws of death. Had it not been for him, the Mystery Dao Sect would have perished alongside the unfettered immortals.
But for that reason, Mr. Qi was severely wounded and his injury affected his foundation. Although he was still alive, he was forced to remain in seclusion all these years to focus on recuperating.
How could an injury of this scale be healed so easily?
His cultivation level dropped, and from an unfettered immortal, he became a profound immortal. Now, he couldn’t even keep his profound immortal state and was reduced to a half-immortal.
Everyone knew that if things continued at this rate, Mr. Qi would be in trouble. He would probably die and disintegrate into ashes.
This was the main concern of the Mystery Dao Sect, and Miao Yan Zhenren was especially anxious.
All these years, he thought of every possible solution to this problem. He visited any and every remaining immortal who was well-versed in medicine, giving up his pride in the process, but no one was capable of helping them.
In the end, there was nothing they could do.
However, the sect’s disciple, Chen Xuankong, had a miraculous encounter recently. He entered a mysterious space and met a person named ‘Curator’ who was probably an unfettered immortal. This rekindled the sense of hope in Miao Yan Zhenren’s heart.
According to Chen Xuankong, Curator had brazenly announced that he could solve any problem in regards to beasts, monsters, or immortal beasts.
Mr. Qi heard about it too, and that was probably why he came here in person today.
“I’ve been indoors for too long and would like to take a walk outside. Don’t mind me and carry on with what you were doing,” said Mr. Qi in a child-like voice. This was also the result of his damaged foundation. Every time he got hurt, his physical age would be cut down. Five hundred years ago, he was a man in his twenties. Now, he took on the appearance of a teenager. By the time he looks like a child, they would know that his days were numbered.
Despite what Mr. Qi said, Miao Yan Zhenren and Chen Xuankong knew that Mr. Qi must have come here upon hearing that the unfettered immortal’s disciple was visiting.
“It’s almost time. Xuankong, lead the others to welcome our guest at the gates,” ordered Miao Yan Zhenren.
