Chapter 1608: Mysterious Life and the Return of All Things to One

Zhang Xi was incredibly shocked. He knew that Wan Tongtian, the Palace Master of Biluo Palace, was a renowned veteran expert among the Nine Daoist Sects, having been a Grandmaster many, many years ago. The middle-aged Taoist nun beside him also exuded the aura of a Grandmaster. Two Grandmasters had come to participate in the sect competition. Was Biluo Palace's foundation truly so profound?

Other sects, by contrast, usually had either their sect leader or an elder lead the delegation. It was rare for more than two Grandmasters to appear together, as sects needed to keep people stationed at their headquarters to prevent their base from being unexpectedly overrun. The fact that Biluo Palace could casually dispatch two Grandmasters proved that at least two more Grandmasters remained guarding their main stronghold. Indeed, Biluo Palace was once a king-level existence among the Nine Daoist Sects. It had been thought to have declined, but in just a few years, it had remarkably recovered its vitality.

"Zhengyang Sect is truly regressing!" Wan Tongtian reprimanded coldly. Had it not been for the fact that they were on Purple Mountain, he would have likely erupted already at the group's behavior. At the same time, the scene of Pei Mianman's first arrival at Biluo Palace flashed through his mind. Back then, the disciples in his palace were not much better than these individuals. Had he not been disinterested in women, he might have been captivated by that girl himself. Furthermore, she was Huoling's disciple. He subconsciously glanced at the middle-aged Taoist nun nearby, his expression a mix of emotions, finally sighing inwardly.

Zhang Xi and the others trembled. Although they were considered outstanding among their peers, they were nothing before Grandmasters and could not utter a single word.

"I originally thought that with Zhengyang Sect occupying Purple Mountain and the resources of the imperial court, their younger generation would be exceptionally formidable. It seems they are nothing special," a young man beside Wan Tongtian sneered at this moment, an arrogant expression on his face. His appearance bore a faint resemblance to Wan Tongtian, indicating he was likely his son. While Wan Tongtian appeared quite old, his son seemed somewhat younger. Despite his youth, he exuded the presence of a sharp sword, his gaze so piercing that many nearby disciples felt as if they were being cut by blades.

Hearing him insult his sect, Zhang Xi silently cursed himself for losing composure but then bravely said, "An untalented disciple like me is naturally not worth mentioning, but several of my senior brothers are ten or even a hundred times more powerful than I am." At the same time, he was incredibly shocked, wondering why, despite the opponent being younger than him, his cultivation felt superior. He had heard in previous years that the Palace Master of Biluo Palace had a genius son named Wan Guiyi, who at a young age overshadowed the entire younger generation of the sect. This must be him.

"Ten or a hundred times more powerful than you?" Wan Guiyi scoffed, clearly disbelieving such nonsense. "Among your senior and junior brothers, only Wu Xiaofan is passable. I came this time to see if he is truly as formidable as the legends say."

Zhang Xi's expression became solemn: "I believe Senior Brother will not disappoint you."

Wu Xiaofan was the chief disciple of Wolong Peak and a direct disciple of Sect Leader Wang Wuxie. Logically, there was fierce competition among the various peaks within a sect, meaning their relationships typically weren't very good. For example, the chief disciples of the other peaks on Purple Mountain, though not resorting to outright fighting, were often compared, which strained their relationships. However, there was one exception: Senior Brother Wu Xiaofan. Everyone respected him, harboring not even a hint of jealousy. This was because he was exceptionally strong and possessed excellent character. If someone is slightly stronger than you, you might strive to catch up or even feel envious. But if they are vastly superior, only admiration remains. Senior Brother Wu Xiaofan was precisely this case; not only within Zhengyang Sect but also throughout the entire Daoist School, he subtly held the potential to be the number one among the younger generation.

Wan Guiyi looked towards the highest peak of Purple Mountain, a strong battle intent rising in his eyes: "I hope so!"

Next, Zhang Xi arranged for disciples to escort their group to the Reception Hall. Only after seeing them off did the group finally relax, discovering that their clothes were soaked with cold sweat. The pressure from a Grandmaster was truly terrifying to this extent!

Soon, several disciples quietly discussed among themselves: "That senior nun just now was so terrifying. We only looked at her disciple a few times, but it felt like if we weren't on Purple Mountain, she would have killed us."

Zhang Xi explained, "That was Grandmistress Huoling of Yanxia Peak in Biluo Palace, known for her fiery temper. She is also incredibly powerful. Legend has it that she and Senior Wan were fellow disciples who fell out over some unknown reason and even competed for the position of Biluo Palace Master. In the end, Senior Wan slightly prevailed and became the Palace Master, while she became the Peak Master of Yanxia Peak, the second most prominent peak in Biluo Palace. Both in status and strength, she is not inferior to the Palace Master's Biluo Peak." As the chief disciple of Guanxin Peak, he knew much more about the Daoist School than ordinary disciples.

"So that's why she's so fierce."

"I think her disciple is even fiercer."

"Yes, yes, she truly is too fierce!"

Meanwhile, as the Biluo Palace group ascended the mountain, Wan Tongtian and his son walked ahead, while Grandmistress Huoling and her disciple followed far behind. This caused the Zhengyang Sect disciple leading them to secretly click his tongue, thinking that the internal relations within Biluo Palace seemed strained.

Wan Tongtian glanced back, saw Grandmistress Huoling deliberately lagging so far behind, and could not help but frown slightly, yet he was helpless. He waved his hand, creating a qi barrier around himself, then spoke to the young man beside him: "Guiyi, do you know why your father named you this?"

The young man nodded: "It is recorded in our Daoist scriptures, 'The Mysterious generates all things; ninety-nine return to one.' Father places great hopes on me, and I naturally understand."

Wan Tongtian nodded with satisfaction: "I named you after words from ancient Daoist texts, naturally hoping that you will represent the Daoist School in the future. Consider our Biluo Palace; in its heyday, it was the top existence among the Nine Daoist Sects. Unfortunately, by the time your father took over, it had already declined. I cannot allow Biluo Palace to continue to sink under my stewardship. Through years of diligent effort, Biluo Palace's strength has recovered, but it is still far from its peak."

"I was originally quite disheartened, but you gave me a great surprise. The hope for revitalizing our Biluo Palace will likely fall upon you," Wan Tongtian said, his expression becoming excited. "With your talent and current cultivation, the chief disciples of other sects are all inferior to you. Be it Zhiyin from Lihantian or Lou Wucheng from Baiyujing... though these people have great reputations, in reality, they are merely insignificant."

"Among the younger generation of disciples across the Nine Daoist Sects, the only one who can be your opponent is Wu Xiaofan."

Wu Xiaofan, despite his name meaning 'little ordinary,' was anything but ordinary. No, actually, he was quite ordinary in his early days. It's said that he initially started as a handyman in Zhengyang Sect, with dull aptitude. He learned much of what his sect masters taught very slowly and was often mocked and bullied by his peers. However, he was honest and kind-hearted, taking it in stride. He frankly admitted his dullness and often sincerely sought advice from other disciples. This made it awkward for those around him to continue bullying him.

Furthermore, Wu Xiaofan was exceptionally diligent. In his view, if one's aptitude was lacking, then diligence could compensate for it. Gradually, he slowly caught up with the progress of those around him. Others were even surprised to find that he was learning things faster than they were. He was particularly fast at learning cultivation techniques, much faster than learning various intricate combat skills. Precisely because he was not proficient in using combat techniques, he often couldn't outperform others in sect competitions.

However, by chance, Wang Wuxie noticed him and discovered that his sect's cultivation methods had reached a level far beyond his peers. After observing him secretly for a period, he discovered Wu Xiaofan's greatest advantage: his ability to focus completely, doing one thing without any distractions. There were many brilliant and talented individuals in this world, but the smarter a person was, the quicker their mind worked, making it difficult for them to focus on one thing. This often led to various inner demons during cultivation breakthroughs. Wu Xiaofan, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. His mind was slow, yet he could focus on one task for extended periods. Wang Wuxie admitted that he himself could not achieve such a level of focus.

Furthermore, Wu Xiaofan possessed the rare quality of an innocent heart. Wang Wuxie, therefore, made an exception and accepted him as a disciple, which caused quite a stir within the entire Zhengyang Sect at the time. Many were unconvinced, wondering why the sect leader had chosen such an ordinary person as a disciple, especially since Wu Xiaofan had been defeated by many of them. Some even suspected that Wu Xiaofan might be the sect leader's illegitimate son.

Wang Wuxie offered no explanations but instead formulated a special cultivation plan for Wu Xiaofan, teaching him according to his aptitude. Approximately six months later, Wu Xiaofan's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and he astonished everyone at the sect's internal competition. Disciples from other peaks remained unconvinced, believing it was merely due to the sect leader personally teaching him. This time, Wang Wuxie said nothing but instead went on a period of travels, while Wu Xiaofan cultivated alone on Wolong Peak. Another six months passed. Disciples from other peaks diligently trained, thinking that without his master's guidance for half a year, Wu Xiaofan's progress would have slowed, and they would surely get their revenge this time. To their surprise, upon sparring, the disciples from all peaks suffered crushing defeats, and the gap was even larger than during their first competition. It was then that Wang Wuxie explained Wu Xiaofan's unique qualities, convincing everyone in Zhengyang Sect. Many had indeed tried to emulate Wu Xiaofan, but they simply could not learn his extraordinary level of focus and eventually had to give up in frustration.

Wan Guiyi had naturally heard of these matters, and an excited expression appeared in his eyes: "Only such a person is worthy of being my opponent."

At this moment, Grandmistress Huoling, who was following far behind, was instructing the young girl beside her: "Manman, this time you must uphold my reputation and astonish everyone at this Grand Competition." The formidable young woman who had previously entranced a group of men at the mountain gate was, naturally, Pei Mianman. Upon hearing this, she smiled helplessly: "Master, how long have I been training? Although I've progressed quickly, I'm still far behind the chief disciples of the other sects."

"You don't need to be so modest. I know your aptitude best; it's no worse than any chief disciple. The only thing you lack is time," Grandmistress Huoling snorted. "However, your combat strength is unique and cannot be judged simply by your realm."

Pei Mianman stuck out her tongue: "As expected, I can't hide anything from Master."

A trace of pride appeared on Grandmistress Huoling's face: "Putting everything else aside, your performance must absolutely not be worse than Wan Guiyi's. Of course, it would be even better if you could defeat him. I can't stand how Wan Tongtian constantly boasts about his son."

"If I could defeat him so quickly, would I even need to come and seek your tutelage?" Pei Mianman rolled her eyes. "Oh, Master, why did you put yourself through all that trouble back then? If only you had conceded a little... Wan Guiyi would have been your and the Palace Master's son."