I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 681 The son of fate?

“Father, the Ancient Divine Sect is too despicable and shameless. These people are clearly slandering us out of thin air and turning black into white.” Li Chengyi’s eyes were full of anger. Compared with what the outside world said, he naturally believed his father.

“Sit down and talk calmly. If you lose your composure because of this, you will have fallen into their trap!” Gu Yuanqing said leisurely.

Li Chengyi took a deep breath, sat down respectfully, and said, "I know, but these words are clearly meant to ruin Father's reputation. How can I bear it?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled calmly: "It's just a reputation, why care so much? The most important thing for a cultivator is their own strength. The purpose of the Ancient Divine Sect is not really for the so-called reputation, but to make me the public enemy of the Linglong Realm, in preparation for using the Ten Directions Token in the future."

"Then how does Father plan to deal with this? If nine out of ten people agree to the authority of the Ten Directions Decree, then the teleportation array of my Qian Yuan Realm will be under their control. They can come and go as they please."

Even more so, it can freeze a realm and gather the power of many exquisite realms. Although my father is strong, it would be very troublesome for him to deal with it. Moreover, the strength of the Primordial God Sect itself is difficult to fathom.

"Perhaps this is why the Spirit Abyss Realm ended up like this back then." Li Chengyi's expression was slightly solemn.

Gu Yuanqing chuckled: "Alright, it's just a matter of dealing with whatever comes our way. There's no need to worry too much. The Ancient Divine Sect has a deep foundation, so it's indeed difficult to completely defeat them. But defeating your father in this Qian Yuan Realm is not an easy task either. Even if it's absolutely necessary, we can just leave the Linglong Realm."

Seeing his father's relaxed expression, Li Chengyi felt a little relieved. And indeed, as his father said, at worst, he could just leave the Qian Yuan Realm.

Moreover, he was no longer a novice. He had been wandering in the cultivation world for many years and his cultivation level had reached the third tribulation of the Heavenly Transformation Realm. He had comprehended the Dao of Space. The deeper his cultivation and the more he understood, the more he felt the extraordinary nature of this mountain.

He had also carefully inquired about matters related to the Trials and the Linglong Realm within the cultivation world.

Knowing that this world and the cultivation world are separated by a boundary, and that the only way to enter and exit is through the Path to Heaven and the Trial in the Floating Realm, the Path to Heaven was severed after the Realm became the Exquisite Realm.

In both worlds, it's not that no one has thought of finding other ways to enter and exit, but it's simply impossible.

But this mountain can connect all realms.

There were rumors in the Linglong Realm that his father had mastered the power of the Primordial Heaven Furnace, a divine artifact of rules, but he knew that this was not the case at all.

The Great Dao of the Exquisite Realm originates from a divine artifact of rules, and thus has flaws. Even he himself is a Great Dao within the cultivation world, so how could his father possibly be one?
"However, I was born in the Qian Yuan Realm after all, and I will never give up this realm unless absolutely necessary. The Ancient Divine Sect has tarnished my reputation, and I will not let them have their way. Cheng Yi, you should have someone spread the word from the Ancient Realm that the Abyss has breached its defenses and that the entry of the Demon Race into the Divine Ruins Realm was orchestrated by the Ancient Divine Sect, just to use the blood and soul of the Demon Race to open the gate to the realm."

"Mu Tianheng disregarded the safety of the Linglong Realm for his own selfish desires. His Discipline Elder, Li Lingyun, did not die in battle against the demons, but was killed by Mu Tianheng to silence him after seeing through his hypocritical mask," Gu Yuanqing said while drinking tea.

Li Chengyi said, "I'm afraid no one will believe it. After all, this time it wasn't the Ancient Divine Sect that stood up to speak, but rather many celestial beings from various sects in the Linglong Realm who participated in this battle. Moreover, everyone knows that Father has a very good relationship with the Illusionary Spirit Sect and is even a guest elder of the Illusionary Spirit Sect. But this time, even the former sect leader of the Illusionary Spirit Sect who joined the Hidden Radiance Alliance has identified Father as the culprit..."

A cold glint flashed in Gu Yuanqing's eyes: "The Hidden Radiance Alliance and the Ancient Divine Sect have a long-standing feud and will not collude with each other. Fellow Daoist Lu should not be a treacherous villain who betrays his word. Therefore, he must either be coerced by them or have had his mind taken over by some kind of secret technique."

"That's my guess too, but only we know these things. Inside the Linglong Realm..." Li Chengyi didn't finish his sentence, and shook his head with a wry smile.

"It's alright, we don't need to believe everything. As long as some people have doubts, that's fine. We'll also release all the information about the Ancient Divine Sect using secret techniques to seize people's minds, including the fact that the Ancient Divine Sect uses the Zhenyuanming Decree to seize cultivators' minds and turn them into boundary guards..."

The father and son talked for a long time.

After leaving the main peak, Li Chengyi went to Li Shi'an's place. Li Haotian, Li Cunguo, Li Siyuan and others also rushed over. After discussing for a long time, they decided on a specific plan.

Afterwards, Li Guanrong hurriedly went to Beiquan Mountain, stayed for an hour, and then returned to Fengtian New City, where a series of matters were arranged in an orderly manner.

In the ancient realm now, there are more and more cultivators belonging to the Qian Yuan Realm, which is quite different from what it used to be.

Various messages were then disseminated through different channels.

Gu Yuanqing's speculation was correct. Most of the Linglong Realm followed the lead of the Ancient Divine Sect and held prejudices against the Qian Yuan Realm. Not many people believed this, but it wasn't that no one believed it.

Ultimately, some words do reach the ears of those who are interested.

In particular, the rumors about the Boundary Guards are very clear. Back then, when Ye Xuanxiao led the Boundary Guards to appear in various realms, these Boundary Guards were all expressionless and only obeyed orders. Now, many cultivators have not returned to their sects because they are all controlled by the Ancient Divine Sect.

Furthermore, the Ancient Divine Sect controlled the Ten Directions Decree and the Celestial Mirror, yet they allowed the Spirit Abyss Realm to fall, leading to the current loss of the Boundary Abyss. Clearly, this was premeditated; otherwise, how could they have been unaware?

It was also said that Mu Tianheng and Li Lingyun had a grudge, but in the end Li Lingyun died in battle. Clearly, Mu Tianheng used the Demon Clan as a cover to eliminate dissidents and prevent Li Lingyun from exposing his conspiracy.

In addition, the war in the Divine Ruins, the demonic array set up in the center of the Ancient Divine Sect, and a series of other events were also reported in detail.

Some people even made special booklets and distributed them along the Wuliang River.

Even if most monks might not believe it, that doesn't stop people from being interested in this matter.

Before long, the news spread everywhere, and at least most of the cultivators in the Void Heaven knew about it.

Throughout the ancient realm, one could hear people discussing it animatedly, which was exactly the effect Gu Yuanqing wanted.

Even if it can't reverse the situation, it can at least cause some trouble for the Ancient Divine Sect.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Chengyi suddenly rushed to the main peak again.

"Father, Yi Yunbo of the Illusionary Spirit Sect has arrived in the Nine Turns Mountain and wants to see you."

"Yi Yunbo? I understand!"

Gu Yuanqing nodded slightly, and then separated a wisp of his divine soul to enter the ancient realm.

To avoid trouble, this divided spirit only controlled the Yin-Yang cycle level.

The spirit manifested within the secret chamber of Nine-Bend Mountain. Then, it took a step out and arrived outside the chamber.

There are many Void Realm cultivators in the Nine Turns Mountain. This is the foundation of the Qian Yuan Realm in the ancient world. Most of the cultivators in the Qian Yuan Realm will refine their Dao Souls here after obtaining them.

Taking another step, he entered the front hall and looked at Yi Yunbo. He was suddenly taken aback for a moment, but then smiled.

Yi Yunbo stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, fellow Daoist!"

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the power of this clone rapidly increased, reaching the Chaotic Heaven level. The Celestial Realm opened up, enveloping the entire hall.

He then added, "Cheng Yi, you stay. Everyone else, leave."

The Void Heaven cultivators serving in the main hall bowed to receive the order and then withdrew.

Li Chengyi was slightly surprised by his father's actions, but knowing there must be a reason, he simply stood aside and did not say anything.

Just then, a phantom emerged from between Yi Yunbo's brows, gradually solidifying and transforming into the likeness of Ning Xuxuan.

Gu Yuanqing said, "Fellow Daoist is still alive."

Ning Xuxuan smiled bitterly and cupped his hands, saying, "To say that I am alive is really just a matter of prolonging my life! Although my true self has not been completely destroyed, it has fallen into the hands of Mu Tianheng. It is only a matter of time before I die. The one in front of me is just a wisp of divine soul imprint. Without the imprint of the Dao, I am just a rootless duckweed. If my true self dies, this body will not last more than a few years before my soul is scattered."

Gu Yuanqing's expression was complicated as he gestured, "Fellow Daoist, please sit down."

Ning Xuxuan sat down, while Yi Yunbo stood behind him.

Gu Yuanqing gestured to Yi Yunbo, then asked Ning Xuxuan, "What exactly happened next?"

Ning Xuxuan sighed softly, "To be honest, although I was in the thick of it, what I know may not be much more than what you know, fellow Daoist. Back then, we were pulled into the Ancient God Mountain in the Ancient Realm by the Primordial God Sect. Without any magic treasures, we could only rely on our own supernatural powers to fight against the demons. In the end, we were severely injured, and we could only send out a remnant of our souls by burning our Undying Mark and using the Boundless Ruler. Actually, I came here to inquire about the situation inside the Divine Ruins from you, fellow Daoist."

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and said, "I don't know much about the Divine Ruins either. I only saw a few forbidden areas that broke away from the boundary gate. They might belong to your Hidden Radiance Alliance."

Ning Xuxuan sighed softly: "It seems that our initial guess was correct. Perhaps the ancestors of the Hidden Radiance Alliance were killed by the Ancient Divine Sect just like us. The fact that a few forbidden areas were able to escape was merely the Ancient Divine Sect leaving behind something for the future."

At this point, Ning Xuxuan's smile grew increasingly bitter. Thinking back to his initial plan to open the gate to the realm, it seemed that it was nothing but wishful thinking. The Ancient Divine Sect had never given them that opportunity.

They didn't even get close to the boundary gate before ending up in this state.

Gu Yuanqing asked, "So, Brother Ning, what are your plans for the future?"

Ning Xuxuan shook his head sadly: "What other way is there? It's nothing more than trying to leave some seeds for the Illusionary Spirit Sect before my soul completely dissipates. As for the rest, even if I, a mere remnant soul, exert all my strength, I am only at the Yin-Yang level and am powerless. Moreover, I dare not truly show myself. If Mu Tianheng knew my situation, I'm afraid the Illusionary Spirit Sect would also be implicated by me."

Gu Yuanqing understood Ning Xuxuan's meaning, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Fellow Daoist, is there anything I can do for you?"

Ning Xuxuan composed himself and said seriously, "I came here at great risk because I thought there were some things you might want to know, and I also wanted to build some goodwill with you. If the Illusionary Spirit Sect is in trouble in the future, I hope you can remember our friendship today and help us out."

Gu Yuanqing was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "Brother Ning must be aware of my situation. Now that the Ancient Divine Sect has dealt with your Hidden Radiance Alliance, I, Gu Yuanqing, am their only thorn in their side. To be honest, the best way for the Illusionary Spirit Sect to preserve itself is to avoid any involvement with me."

Ning Xuxuan said, "I understand what you mean, fellow Daoist. However, I trust my own judgment more. In the past, I dared not say too much, lest you think I had ulterior motives and that we would have more suspicions. But now that I am just a wisp of remnant soul, I don't have so many concerns about what I say."

"Oh?" Gu Yuanqing asked in surprise.

"Why do you think the Ancient Divine Sect is so hostile towards you, Fellow Daoist Gu?" Ning Xuxuan asked.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "It's just that my cultivation speed is too fast, and I don't want to be controlled by it."

Ning Xuxuan shook his head and said, "That's one of the reasons, but it's not the whole story."

"Are there other reasons? I would like to hear the details."

Ning Xuxuan said, "In the Linglong Realm, every Yuanhui (a major epochal event) gives rise to a person of great fortune. I believe that at the turn of this epoch, this person of great fortune is you, fellow Daoist! No matter how high the cultivation level of an ordinary cultivator is, how can they possibly contend with the Primordial Divine Sect, which has suppressed the past and present, in this Linglong Realm? The Primordial Divine Sect possesses the most perfect world of the Great Dao, the world's most superior cultivation techniques and resources, as well as the sect's accumulated foundation over generations. How could a newly emerged expert pose a threat to them!"
"To put it bluntly, even if I break through the limits of the realm and become a divine being, I'm afraid the Ancient Divine Sect might still have ways to deal with me."

Ning Xuxuan paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Moreover, I can confirm that there are such beings in the Ancient God Mountain!"

Gu Yuanqing stared at Ning Xuxuan: "Could it be that you... have noticed something this time?"

Ning Xuxuan nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist guessed correctly. During the battle between Ancient God Mountain and the Demon Clan, I felt my heart pounding repeatedly. It was clear that there were experts far superior to me patrolling the battlefield. Their strength was even above that of the Demon Lord, who was a demigod. Fellow Daoist Gu should understand what this means."

“Ancient Sacred Mountain…no wonder…” Gu Yuanqing murmured.

Ning Xuxuan asked, "Fellow Daoist, have you also sensed anything?"

Gu Yuanqing nodded: "That's right. Back then, the Ancient Divine Sect repeatedly invited me to the Ancient Divine Mountain. Whenever I had the thought, I felt my heart pound with fear. This time, when the Ancient Realm descended on the battlefield, I also felt that there was a danger of destruction, so I immediately left the Divine Ruins."

Ning Xuxuan sighed softly, "Fellow Daoist's control over the Dao of Space is something I can only admire. At that time, I also sensed something was wrong and tried to escape, but I had no chance at all. The power of the Measuring Ruler was suppressed. This time in the Ancient God Mountain, it was only because the Demon Lord burned his demonic blood with all his might that the Primordial God Sect was unable to pay attention to me that I was able to find a sliver of an opportunity. Even so, it was only enough for a remnant soul of mine to escape. I could not do any more than that."

"I can only say that I was lucky. Perhaps I escaped quickly, and the place I was in was not completely controlled by the methods of the Ancient Divine Sect," Gu Yuanqing said.

Ning Xuxuan said, "No, it's not that you're lucky, but it truly shows that you are a chosen one. This is why the Ancient Divine Sect is so wary of you. Being favored by the Linglong Realm's fortune often allows one to turn misfortune into good fortune. Only someone like you could possibly endanger the foundation of the Ancient Divine Sect!"

(End of this chapter)