Chapter 2965 — Xuanchen's Warning

"So that is how it is. You thought it through more carefully than I did." Ancestor Xuanchen nodded, his doubts dissolving. "Still, if that plan of ours succeeds this time, there will be no need to use that kind of trial spirit medicine to refine pills at all!"

"So that is how it is. Then this disciple of yours has been meddling where he should not," Tiansan Bian said.

"Not exactly meddling. You are the young master of the Xuandan Sect; naturally you must put the reputation and interests of the Xuandan Sect first. You did nothing wrong." Ancestor Xuanchen waved a hand. "Let this matter rest. As for that Wei Zhao—keep your distance from now on. Do not help him."

"Yes, this disciple understands." Tianchan bowed her head at once and answered, though a trace of resolve flashed through her lovely eyes, so fleeting it was all but imperceptible.

"Good. You may go back first." Ancestor Xuanchen gestured for Tianchan to take her leave.

After Tianchan had gone, Ancestor Xuanchen turned to Kang Zhaoming. "These are all trifling matters, hardly worth troubling over. From what the reports say, Wei Zhao's meridians and dantian have already been shattered. Even if he holds a Fourth-Grade Great Return Pill, it will do him no good, for he cannot refine the pill at all. One more Third-Grade Great Return Pill is nothing but a bit of amusement for him."

"You speak truly. This disciple was a little too hasty." Kang Zhaoming hastily admitted his fault with due caution.

"Tiansan Bian may be your senior fellow disciple, but he now stands as the young master of the Xuandan Sect. From now on, try not to question what he does," Ancestor Xuanchen said after a moment's thought, instructing Kang Zhaoming.

"Master, is the Xuandan Sect not a vassal of our Five Luminaries Sect?" Kang Zhaoming asked, slightly taken aback.

"A vassal it is, true enough. But over these years the Xuandan Sect has followed at the heels of the Five Luminaries Sect and has skimmed no small share of the benefits. Our Five Luminaries Sect has kept itself hidden behind the scenes, while all the open, visible gains have fallen to the Xuandan Sect. In these twenty years the Xuandan Sect's power has swelled rapidly—by what I can see, it is no longer inferior to the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow Sect." Ancestor Xuanchen's expression turned grave.

"By what you can see? Do you mean there are things you cannot see?" Kang Zhaoming was slightly startled.

"Who does not keep a few cards up his sleeve? Even our Five Luminaries Sect... heh heh..." At that, Ancestor Xuanchen merely smiled and said no more.

But Kang Zhaoming already understood his master's meaning. The Five Luminaries Sect, it seemed, also held something back. What he saw might not be the full strength of the Five Luminaries Sect! At this thought, Kang Zhaoming could not help growing excited. "Since the Xuandan Sect is our vassal force, then if they are concealing something, should we not investigate?"

"If you want a sect to serve you with a peaceful heart, then either you must hold absolute dominance, gripping them so tightly they have no room to breathe, or you must let them keep a shred of fantasy and a card or two in reserve, so that they believe we cannot swallow them whole." Ancestor Xuanchen waved his hand. "You are still young. You do not yet understand the mindset of those who sit above."

"Oh... so that is how it is. Then why does our Five Luminaries Sect not step into the open? If we did, would we not gain even more resources?" Kang Zhaoming asked, puzzled.

"Heh heh. As things look now, staying out of the open was the right choice. Had we stepped forward, I expect that Xiao Yi and the others—and I myself—would no longer be in the Five Luminaries Sect," Ancestor Xuanchen said with some emotion.

"Master, what do you mean by that? What do you mean, no longer in the Five Luminaries Sect?" Kang Zhaoming did not grasp his meaning.

"This matter must begin with an old affair from some ten-odd years ago. Two masters of the Heavenly Dao, from no one knew where, ran rampant across the entire Ancient Layer and carried off every expert at the peak of the late Heavenly Rank, great consummation. For those who resisted, there was only one road—death. For those who followed, it was said they could successfully ascend to the Heavenly Dao." Recalling that affair, Ancestor Xuanchen still felt a lingering dread. Thank goodness the Five Luminaries Sect had been led by Xuantian Bai in those days, and had laid its foundations in low profile, so that those two masters had never discovered its existence. Otherwise, the Five Luminaries Sect could never have escaped calamity.

"Masters of the Heavenly Dao? So such masters of the Heavenly Dao truly exist in this world!" Only today did Kang Zhaoming realize what a frog at the bottom of a well he was. "But those two—were they not far too overbearing? Death to any who resist? Is that not utterly unreasonable?"

"In the world of cultivators, the strong prey on the weak. Where is there any reason to speak of? You poisoned Wei Zhao—was that not unreasonable too?" Ancestor Xuanchen shook his head and spoke with unconcern.

"Uh... that is true..." Only then did Kang Zhaoming recall that he himself was no different.

"Besides, those two masters of the Heavenly Dao, known together as the Twin Vajra Fiends, were not truly unreasonable either. In truth, in the world of cultivation, which expert at the peak of the late Heavenly Rank, great consummation, does not have a few sordid deeds to his name? They have all killed, all seized fine treasures from others. If you were to list it all out, that would be a catalogue of crimes." Ancestor Xuanchen said, "If they pick any one item at random to make their case, you have no way to answer."

"Then would it not be better to follow them? Could one not ascend to the Heavenly Dao that way?" Kang Zhaoming was still somewhat perplexed.

"So it was said, but who has ever seen it? For a thousand years, the only method of ascending to the Heavenly Dao that we cultivators recognize is to open the Cloud Terrace Island and ascend there—not this so-called following others to ascend." Ancestor Xuanchen said, "Besides, as things stand now, those cultivators who left with those two have vanished utterly from the world. No word of them has ever appeared again. So I believe that eight or nine times out of ten, they went and never returned."

"What on earth did those two masters of the Heavenly Dao want to do?" Kang Zhaoming asked, baffled.

"That I do not know. The minds of masters of the Heavenly Dao are strange and beyond our reckoning. Unless you reach that level, no one can know what those people are thinking or what they are pursuing." Ancestor Xuanchen shook his head.

"Very well." Kang Zhaoming nodded and asked no further, turning instead to another question. "By the way, Master, that Limit Gathering Pill of Wei Zhao's—shall we still refine it for him?"

"No need to refine it for now. First refine the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Replacing Pill for the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow Sect!" Ancestor Xuanchen waved his hand in instruction. "Wei Zhao's dantian is ruined. What the hell would he do with pills? Besides, if it were not ruined, all the more reason not to let him have it. What if he took it and rose two ranks at once, breaking straight through to the Heavenly Rank? Would not that poison have been given in vain?" (To be continued. For more exciting novels, visit our site:)