Chapter 223: Muchenqiu’s Gift

Outside the Floating Island, He Dongsheng had been standing guard since three days ago.

During this time, even a Nascent Soul True Lord from the Mang Mountain branch sect had come to visit, but He Dongsheng rejected them all with the excuse that his master was in closed-door cultivation.

Gazing at the island now hidden within the void, He Dongsheng understood clearly—this had to be his master unfolding the Luo Heaven Domain, removing the entire island from the threads of reality and causality, rendering it invisible to the world.

The Luo Heaven Domain had remained open for three full days, far exceeding his expectations. After all, even for Muchenqiu, maintaining the domain was no small burden.

That it lasted this long only proved one thing—the secret of the Longevity Immortal Technique that Lu Yan spoke of was far more significant than anyone had imagined.

Thinking this far, He Dongsheng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

“No wonder Brother Lu always hides his true depths so well.”

He recalled their first encounter—he was merely a con artist selling fake wares, and Lu Yan was just an unremarkable early-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

But after only a few words of conversation, He Dongsheng had realized that Lu Yan was no ordinary man and began trying to befriend him.

From being hunted by demonic cultivators during his Foundation Establishment, to being kidnapped and rescued by Lu Yan, every step of Lu Yan’s growth had left He Dongsheng stunned.

Later, He Dongsheng got lucky and was accepted into Muchenqiu’s tutelage, rising in status in one step. He thought he could now surpass Lu Yan using his position as a direct disciple of the main branch.

But the more contact he had, the more he realized the gap between them had only grown.

Lu Yan could fight Golden Core cultivators while still at the early Foundation Establishment stage, while He Dongsheng had only managed to break through Foundation Establishment by relying on his identity and resources. His knowledge of techniques and divine arts was practically zero, barely able to compete with sect disciples of the same realm—let alone challenge those at higher stages.

And after Lu Yan’s meeting with Muchenqiu, with just a few seemingly casual words, Muchenqiu was so moved that he activated the Luo Heaven Domain and debated the Dao for three days.

That was Muchenqiu! The future Divine Transformation Dao Lord, the one acknowledged as the number one genius in the cultivation world!

If not for their master-disciple bond, Muchenqiu likely wouldn’t even glance at someone with He Dongsheng’s aptitude.

“Brother Lu’s rise is so swift… perhaps even the ancient Immortals were no greater.”

“Luckily, I’m too untalented to compete on the same path. At least I won’t experience the despair of being crushed by a true peerless genius.”

He Dongsheng felt a trace of schadenfreude.

Just then, the void before him twisted slightly. A massive Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram appeared above the skies, and the Floating Island that had vanished from the world reappeared before his eyes.

The Taiji Diagram slowly faded, and the Luo Heaven Domain quietly dissipated.

Seeing this, He Dongsheng’s eyes lit up. He immediately flew toward the floating island, and the moment he stepped onto it, he saw Lu Yan and Muchenqiu standing side by side near the spiritual pool.

He was about to speak, but then he keenly noticed something unusual—Lu Yan had just stepped down from the lotus platform, while Muchenqiu stood below, wearing a gentle smile and… an expression of respect?

“Respect? Impossible!”

He Dongsheng instinctively rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

Muchenqiu was the number one genius in the cultivation world, just a step away from Divine Transformation. Even Divine Transformation Dao Lords only treated him as an equal.

Someone like that… showing respect to a mere early Foundation Establishment junior?

But just as He Dongsheng rubbed his eyes, Muchenqiu’s expression shifted back to calm. The two of them began walking shoulder to shoulder away from the spiritual pool.

He Dongsheng noticed their synchronized steps—signaling that Muchenqiu had acknowledged Lu Yan as an equal.

He Dongsheng knew very well how proud his master was. Let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators, even many Nascent Soul seniors of a thousand years wouldn’t catch Muchenqiu’s eye.

Previously addressing Lu Yan as “Little Friend” was just courtesy—no one really believed a Foundation Establishment junior could stand shoulder to shoulder with Muchenqiu.

Yet now, that assumption had been shattered, leaving He Dongsheng utterly at a loss.

“Just three days, and I’ve already fallen to the junior generation?”

He pondered for a long while but still couldn’t understand.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the spiritual pool, Muchenqiu spoke apologetically:

“When a tree stands out in a forest, the wind will surely break it. Today’s events must not be leaked, or the consequences will be endless. I must trouble you, Little Friend Lu.”

Lu Yan waved his hand, speaking earnestly:

“I carry far too many secrets that cannot see the light of day. It’s I who should thank you, True Lord Mu, for helping me keep this hidden.”

Three days of Dao discussion had forged an extraordinary bond between them.

Especially Lu Yan’s final words before the Luo Heaven Domain dissipated:

“Only today do I know—I am not myself.”

Every time Muchenqiu recalled it, his spirit would tremble, as if he were on the verge of transcending this world.

Some instinct told him that the day he fully comprehended Lu Yan’s parting words would be the day he truly grasped the essence of Immortality.

And for Lu Yan to speak those words so calmly meant he had already seen through far more than Muchenqiu, naturally earning his respect.

There was no way Muchenqiu could continue treating Lu Yan as a mere junior.

Now that the Luo Heaven Domain had faded, they exchanged no more words, wary of drawing attention.

From the corner of his eye, Muchenqiu saw He Dongsheng approaching and felt all the more gratified.

In the main branch of the Taiyi Sect, disciples were chosen based on fortune. This rule had been in place since the sect’s founding: without destiny, even the most gifted could not enter the fold.

Over time, many branches had abandoned this practice, favoring raw talent over hidden fortune.

Muchenqiu’s branch, the Four Seasons Lineage, was one of the few that still held to the tradition.

He had selected He Dongsheng because he had used an ancestral divination to perceive his extraordinarily deep fortune—unlike any he had ever seen.

But after taking He Dongsheng as a disciple, he found the young man’s talent to be utterly dull. Even after exploring countless secret realms, the results were underwhelming—entirely mismatched with his supposed fate. Muchenqiu had begun to question whether his ancestral divination had gone awry.

Only after Lu Yan’s visit did he realize: He Dongsheng’s great fortune lay not in himself, but in those around him.

Even if He Dongsheng lacked talent, with a master like Muchenqiu and a lifelong friend like Lu Yan, his future was guaranteed to reach the Nascent Soul Realm—and perhaps even Divine Transformation.

“With such great human fortune, my disciple’s future is limitless!”

While marveling at this, Muchenqiu’s fingers instinctively moved into a divination gesture—and his brows furrowed.

“Strange… When I first met him, I had not taken him as a disciple. Lu Yan had not yet risen to power. Yet his fortune was already this deep.”

“Could it be that, besides us, there’s someone else around him… whose human fortune is even greater?”

Just as Muchenqiu attempted to peer deeper with a divine technique, He Dongsheng walked forward and interrupted his thoughts.

“Disciple congratulates Master on another advancement in cultivation!”

Muchenqiu’s fingers froze mid-gesture. He dropped the divination and turned his attention back to He Dongsheng.

“How did you know?”

He asked curiously.

He Dongsheng grinned and said:

“Master has been troubled by Immortal techniques for days. If you’d gained nothing, how could you be so at ease chatting with Brother Lu?”

He winked at Lu Yan.

“When I finally reach high cultivation, how about teaching me that Immortal technique you know, Brother Lu?”

Lu Yan chuckled. “Of course.”

After all, he’d received the《Heavenly Dao Treatise》from He Dongsheng in the first place—passing it on was no issue.

If He Dongsheng weren’t so low in cultivation and had not yet touched the path of this world’s sole existence, Lu Yan would’ve included him in the lecture three days ago.

He Dongsheng was momentarily stunned by Lu Yan’s immediate agreement, then waved his hand.

“I was just joking. That kind of technique—Master couldn’t even comprehend it, let alone someone like me.”

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, He Dongsheng turned to Muchenqiu and said:

“Since Master has had a breakthrough, that promise you made earlier should still stand, right? With Brother Lu’s talent, he should definitely become one of Taiyi Sect’s core disciples!”

“Of course.”

Muchenqiu had gained immensely from Lu Yan, so giving him a recommendation spot was the least he could do.

Then, he turned to Lu Yan and explained:

“You asked for a core disciple recommendation, and I’m happy to grant it. But first, let me explain just how important a core disciple position is in Taiyi Sect.”

“Our sect has thirty-six core disciples—thirty-five of whom come from the thirteen main branches and dozens of side branches.”

“The core disciple title has an age limit of one hundred years. Once past that, you lose the title unless you ascend to Divine Transformation.”

“So the Taiyi Sect’s core disciples fall into two extremes: either Divine Transformation Dao Lords or peerless prodigies under a hundred.”

“Unlike other sects, our core disciples—whether they are Golden Core geniuses or Divine Transformation experts—have full voting rights on sect affairs, alongside the thirteen branch heads.”

“Once you attain the core disciple status, you can command branch sects. Even Nascent Soul cultivators must obey your summons.”

“Branch elders and sect masters are merely nominal figures. The real power of Taiyi Sect lies in the thirteen heads and thirty-six core disciples.”

Lu Yan’s face revealed a touch of astonishment.

Even the Qingwu Sect, another one of the Ten Grand Orthodox Sects, did not treat core disciples with such gravity.

There, a Golden Core core disciple was treated on par with a Nascent Soul elder—but ultimately, it was still just a title.

But here in Taiyi Sect, true power was given—enough to shape the sect’s future.

“If both Grand Sects value this position so highly, even attracting the attention of hidden Immortals, then… could this have something to do with a special version?”

A guess surfaced in Lu Yan’s mind.

The importance placed on the core disciple status also made him realize how intense the competition would be.

Sure enough, Muchenqiu’s next words confirmed his thoughts.

“In the past ten years, four core disciples surpassed the age limit and lost their status.”

“A few days ago, the Core Disciple Hall sent word—five months from now, a great gathering will be held to determine the four new replacements.”

“To my knowledge, there are over forty Golden Core cultivators under a hundred in the various branches. Most are early-stage, with over ten at mid-stage.”

“One direct disciple of a main branch has already reached the Golden Core peak and is essentially guaranteed one of the slots.”

“If you wish to compete, you’ll at least need the strength to fight mid-stage Golden Core prodigies.”

Lu Yan’s heart sank.

If he could use the Human Emperor Banner, even Golden Core peak cultivators wouldn’t pose a threat.

But using that forbidden item during such a grand event would expose his identity as a Netherworld emissary—definitely not ideal.

Which meant he’d have to fight with his own strength.

But he knew his limits. When he fought Moyangzi before, he relied on the opponent’s underestimation. He never posed a real lethal threat.

Moyangzi still had a Golden Core-grade magic treasure and his true divine techniques—if he had used them, Lu Yan wouldn’t have lasted.

And Moyangzi was only a base-level candidate. Real prodigies were far stronger.

In the face of such a gap, even Lu Yan’s supreme Dao Foundation would be hard to unleash.

Just then, Muchenqiu spoke again.

“Little Friend Lu, are you worried your cultivation isn’t enough to compete?”

Lu Yan nodded, not hiding his concern.

“You’ve helped me greatly and are the Four Seasons Lineage’s recommended candidate. We will fully support you in the contest for Taiyi Sect’s core position!”

Muchenqiu swept his sleeve, and a golden-red token flew from his storage ring into Lu Yan’s hands.

“This is the Four Seasons Token. It represents ten years’ worth of resources from my lineage.”

“With it, you may cultivate in Taiyi Cave Heaven for one year, receive one Grade Five Enlightenment Pill, ten Grade Four pills, cleanse your body in the Immortal Spirit Pool, view the Primordial Opening Diagram in the Law Treasury, and bathe your soul in the light of the Zhou Tian stars via the Star God Array…”

“I’ve seen many Dao Foundations in my life, but yours is unmatched. Yet the stronger the foundation, the harder it is to nurture divine powers—it requires immense resources.”

“With our Four Seasons Lineage, we can help you birth a true Innate Divine Power—perhaps even one of the legendary Heavenly Gang Divine Arts!”

(End of Chapter)