The Quest for Immortality

At this point, the current Debating Dao Conference has completely concluded.

And behind the scenes, the higher-ups of various Sects wrap themselves in open strategies and covert manipulations around the rank order of the Conference, all vying to secure the greatest benefits for their own Sects...

...

Inside the Taixu Gate, in the Sect Leader Residence.

Elder Master Xun and the Taixu Sect Master sit opposite each other, drinking tea.

The room is serene and filled with the fragrance of tea.

Both of them appear calm, but their eyes reveal deep contemplation.

”In this Debating Dao Conference, the Tai’a Sect placed first among the Eight Great Gates, only slightly behind the Four Great Sects...”

”The Rushing Void Sect progressed to the middle ranks.”

”Only our Taixu Gate lingered at the edges of the lower ranks, neither advancing nor retreating.”

”But as the other two have moved forward, our lack of advancement actually means ’retreat’...”

The Taixu Sect Master sipped his tea, speaking indifferently.

The tea is refreshing, but the aftertaste is slightly bitter.

The Taixu Sect Master raised his eyes, looking at Elder Master Xun, seeing the elder’s composed demeanor, he couldn’t help but ask:

”Elder Master... This seems a bit inappropriate...”

Elder Master Xun responded indifferently: ”You are the Sect Leader.”

The Taixu Sect Master gave a bitter smile.

The Sect Leader is indeed the Sect Leader, but in front of an old ancestor, what does the Sect Leader account for.

Elder Master Xun slightly lifted his gaze, looked at the Taixu Sect Master, put down his teacup, flicked his sleeve, and frowned saying:

”Have you heard some rumors?”

The Taixu Sect Master pondered for a moment, then carefully said:

”You know, the power of my family is not small...”

Elder Master Xun glanced at him, saying: ”No need to be so modest.”

The Taixu Sect Master smiled slightly, then his expression turned solemn as he said:

”I have some connections within the clan, and I’ve heard from the Taoist Court side that the Shen Family of Qian Daoist Sect, in alliance with the Heavenly Sword Sect and other Four Sects, have petitioned the Taoist Court proposing the... ”

The Taixu Sect Master’s eyes turned cold, as he said in a deep voice: ”Sect system reform.”

Elder Master Xun raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised, and asked gravely:

”How do they want to change it?”

The Taixu Sect Master shook his head, ”That I do not know...”

He played with the celadon jade-inlaid cup in his hand, continuing, ”But no matter how it changes, it seems to be no good news for us...”

”Our Taixu Gate is currently declining, with the Divine Thought into Sword technique lost, like cutting off our own arms, we can’t compete with them. Maintaining our current position would be considered good.”

”Once the Four Great Sects, in conjunction with the Taoist Court, strongly push for Sect reform, in the midst of such treacherous and unpredictable changes, our Taixu Gate will inevitably face turbulence, and even...”

The voice of the Taixu Sect Master grew colder, ”...it’s possible to fall out of the Eight Great Gates.”

Elder Master Xun’s expression turned grave, and he fell silent in thought.

The Taixu Sect Master read his expression but couldn’t discern anything, knowing his own cultivation was shallow and couldn’t penetrate Elder Master Xun’s thoughts, he could only sigh and voice his concerns:

”On the surface, it’s the Four Great Sects, in alliance with other Sects, pushing for the reform of the Sect system to grab more benefits for themselves...”

”But I faintly feel, they seem to be targeting our Taixu Gate...”

The eyebrows of the Taixu Sect Master slightly furrowed.

”But why?”

”If it’s about grievances, I could list a few, if it’s for reasons, I could guess a few.”

”But I always feel, these are not the real reasons...”

”There must be hidden secrets behind this!”

Elder Master Xun looked slightly surprised, gazing deeply at the Taixu Sect Master.

That family of Cultivators, indeed no easy feat...

Elder Master Xun slightly nodded, ”I understand...”

The Taixu Sect Master waited for Elder Master Xun to continue, but his words stopped abruptly there.

What next?

The Taixu Sect Master looked puzzled at Elder Master Xun.

Elder Master Xun indifferently took another sip of tea, ”I have my plans.”

What plans?

The Taixu Sect Master wanted to ask, but seeing Elder Master Xun’s demeanor, he felt that even if he did ask, the elder would surely not disclose anything.

The expression of the Taixu Sect Master grew serious.

Seeing his expression, Elder Master Xun slightly nodded inwardly.

Although coming from a family background, not of the Taixu Gate lineage, since he occupies this position, he considers its politics, truly concerned for the safety of the Taixu Gate.

Elder Master Xun, unprecedentedly, poured him a cup of tea, and with an aged voice, slowly said:

”As the mountain rain is about to come, respond to changes with constancy.”

The Taixu Sect Master drank this cup of tea feeling rather flattered.

But his doubts didn’t decrease but instead increased.

When the mountain rain comes, what kind of ”constancy” should be used to cope with these changes...

...

The Sword Discussion Conference concluded.

The disciples were still eager for more, and there were still follow-up events, but these no longer concerned Mo Hua.

He saw what he needed to see, other matters had nothing to do with him. If it truly involved significant interests of the Sect, it wouldn’t be his place to intervene.

Fame and gain are ultimately external things.

The path of Tao Cultivation is long, requiring one to quiet the heart and earnestly seek knowledge.

Mo Hua returned to the Sect, continuing his cultivation as persistently as water droplets wearing down stone.

His next target is the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

The rest of his time was spent studying formations.

Mo Hua tried to integrate the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation System, taught to him by Elder Master Xun, with the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formations treasured by the Shangguang Family and Wenren Family, cross-referencing and corroborating each other to broaden his formation experiences.

The improvement of the Five Elements Source Armor also continued iteratively.

Yu Er became more lively.

With Mo Hua looking after her, Yu Er in the Taixu Gate was like a joyful little swallow, free and unbounded, fluttering around everywhere.

This was also the happiest time of his life.

Time flies, and unknowingly, another year passed.

The New Year Festival came and went as usual.

Mo Hua, now in the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, successfully advanced another level.

And a new batch of disciples entered the Taixu Gate, younger than Mo Hua by a batch, truly his ”Junior Brothers” and ”Junior Sisters.”

Mo Hua truly became an ”Elder Brother” now.