Chapter 421: There Is Still Heaven

Compared to the sudden appearance of Ding Busan, the fact that Chong Qingyun killed two disciples of major immortal sects seemed much smaller.

If the Xuan Tian Sword Dao and Yi Hai Palace are unwilling to go to war with the Immortal Martial Palace, they can only accept compensation and punishment for Chong Qingyun.

The leaders of all major immortal sects tacitly led their disciples away.

Although Xuan Chengzi himself spoke at length without making things clear, nearly everyone here understood.

First, there is a man named Ding Busan who impersonated a disciple of Qing Xu Dao and joined Xuan Chengzi in the scramble for the True Spirit World.

Second, this man named Ding Busan possesses extremely high Array Dao proficiency—at least far surpassing Chong Qingyun, a Level Four Immortal Array Master.

So when the leaders of the major immortal sects returned to their sects' bases, their first priority was to find this cultivator named Ding Busan.

Qing Xu Dao's base.

Xuan Chengzi handed the True Spirit World over to the sect leader, Jing Sanren.

Jing Sanren did not immediately examine the True Spirit World; instead, he stared sternly at Xuan Chengzi: "Go find Ding Busan now—can you find him?"

Xuan Chengzi still did not believe anyone would dare impersonate a Qing Xu Dao disciple: "Master, perhaps Ding Busan is a newly joined disciple of our Qing Xu Dao? May I first ask the Outer Gate Elder?"

Jing Sanren stared blankly at this luck-soaked fool, whose fortune was extraordinary yet whose brain was as dull as a pig's.

Even if Ding Busan were truly a Qing Xu Dao disciple, wouldn't a sect leader know to ask the Outer Gate Elder who handles recruitment? Why must you, Xuan Chengzi, be the one to ask?

"Ding Busan merely wore Qing Xu Dao's robes; he is not our disciple at all. In fact, even his name is fake," Jing Sanren said slowly, word by word.

"Ah, so there truly is such a bold person? Master, rest assured—I will not let him go once I find him," Xuan Chengzi declared with righteous fury, his sense of sect loyalty overflowing.

Jing Sanren realized his thoughts were entirely out of sync with Xuan Chengzi's; he could only sigh: "Now is not the time to pursue Ding Busan's responsibility."

Remember this: Ding Busan's Array Dao proficiency is terrifying. The arrays he set up even fooled Wu Yixia of the Divine Array Sect.

If we can find him and invite him to join our Qing Xu Dao as a true disciple, how could we possibly lose in next year's Great Competition?"

If not for Xuan Chengzi's great merit, he would have been too lazy to speak to this fool at all.

"Why? He impersonated our Qing Xu Dao disciple—yet we're supposed to take him in? Isn't that…"

Before Xuan Chengzi could finish, Jing Sanren cut him off:

"Do as I say—no need for excuses. When you find Ding Busan, you must invite him to the sect with the utmost respect. Your reward will be doubled."

"Yes. Master, rest assured—I will find Ding Busan," Xuan Chengzi replied immediately, his tone resolute.

Sect leader Jing Sanren exhaled in relief; he finally found a way to communicate with Xuan Chengzi.

That was: don't reason with him, don't explain details—just give him direct orders.

…

Ding Huan did not know that throughout Genggu Immortal Dao City, everyone was searching for Ding Busan. He believed that as long as Hua Hua Xiaoqian of the Chiyunu Sect stayed silent, no one would know he was Ding Busan.

As for Hua Hua Xiaoqian, she certainly wouldn't speak.

After all, Wen Zhixi was her disciple; for Wen Zhixi's sake, she would pretend not to know.

For the past few days, Ding Huan had been studying in the dormitory, deciding where to seclude himself for cultivation.

He had repeatedly studied the several Great Immortal Realm map jade slips he purchased but found no suitable location.

Whether or not he found one, Ding Huan planned to leave Genggu Immortal Dao City.

When Tao Xiao Mei returned, he would bid her farewell and leave.

For the past few days, Tao Xiao Mei had been even busier than him, mainly attending various auctions, trade fairs, and exchange gatherings.

Ding Huan truly didn't understand why Tao Xiao Mei was attending auctions—even after giving her all the rings from Dong Han and the others, her total lower-grade immortal crystals amounted to only about forty-five thousand.

Forty-five thousand lower-grade immortal crystals, attending auctions everywhere—Ding Huan couldn't fathom her reasoning.

Was it wishful thinking? Or was she trying to find out who bought the treasures for advancing to Great Yi Immortal?

Only at noon did Tao Xiao Mei rush back in a hurry.

Before Ding Huan could speak his farewell, she exclaimed urgently: "Senior Brother Ding, everyone outside is searching for someone named Ding Busan—it involves eight or nine immortal sects."

Checkpoints at the city gates are inspecting everyone individually—everyone is being questioned. I'm worried, so I rushed back to tell you."

Clearly, Tao Xiao Mei suspected Ding Busan might be Ding Huan in disguise.

Hearing that everyone was searching for Ding Busan, Ding Huan's heart sank.

He had thought only Qing Xu Dao would search for Ding Busan—if eight or nine immortal sects were hunting him, he was in grave danger.

With so many immortal sects searching for him, it certainly wasn't because of the True Spirit World.

He never wanted the True Spirit World—he knew it was a cursed artifact.

If not for the True Spirit World, then only one possibility remained: he was the Void Array Pattern Master.

That was far more terrifying than being hunted for the True Spirit World. If it were for the True Spirit World, he could still beg Wen Zhixi to have the Chiyunu Sect intervene and explain.

But if they were after him as the Void Array Pattern Master, once found, they would never let him escape.

The best-case scenario: he joins an immortal sect and gains freedom.

Like Wen Zhixi—become a disciple, find a master, and the master becomes his shield.

The worst-case scenario: he is confined, forced to reveal the Void Array Pattern techniques. Once those techniques are spread, his chance of ever being released vanishes.

Ding Huan cultivates the Great Cosmos Art—if he sought the first option of joining an immortal sect, he had no need to remain here so long.

Ding Huan began calculating his situation.

With so many sects searching for one person, they would soon check his origins at Genggu Immortal Tower.

Once Genggu Immortal Tower joined the search, they would trace it back to the dormitory.

Even if Genggu Immortal Tower only checked who had been seen with Wen Zhixi—without any information from Hua Hua Xiaoqian—they could still pinpoint Ding Busan as likely being Ding Huan.

Soon he realized his calculations offered no clear outcome.

Leave—must leave—leave immediately.

Seeing Ding Huan's expression, Tao Xiao Mei immediately said: "Senior Brother Ding, I heard the Ancient Dao Immortal Fortune is recruiting wandering cultivators to join."

They're apparently transporting something extremely important to Heaven's Court—you could join. Nothing from Heaven's Court is ever searched."

"Heavenly Court? What is the Heavenly Court?" Ding Huan was taken aback; this was the first time he had heard the term Heavenly Court.

He hadn't been here long, so it seemed there were many places he wasn't clear about.

This time it was Tao Xiaomei's turn to be bewildered. Was Senior Brother Ding from another planet? He didn't even know about the Heavenly Court?

"Then does Senior Brother Ding know which world the Gu Gu Xian Domain is in?" Tao Xiaomei tried asking.

The Gu Gu Xian Domain was the Great Immortal Domain — this Ding Huan knew.

As for which world it was in…

Ding Huan shook his head; he also didn't say that he wasn't a cultivator from here.

"Senior Brother Ding, how about I tell you about it." Tao Xiaomei was almost certain that Ding Huan wasn't from the Great Immortal Domain, and wasn't even a cultivator of the Pangu Great World.

Ding Huan waved a hand: "There's probably no time. I'm leaving right now. If anyone asks, just say we were roommates renting a big shop together, and you don't know when I'll be back."

"Senior Brother Ding, I know. After you go out, remember to buy a Pangu Great World handbook — it has detailed introductions." Tao Xiaomei hurriedly said.

Ding Huan nodded. As he walked out of the big shop, he swept a hand across his face, and in an instant transformed into a loose cultivator in the appearance of a scholar.

He nearly brushed past a few cultivators who had come from the Eternal Ancient Immortal Tower to investigate him.

After leaving the Eternal Ancient Market, Ding Huan went straight to a merchant tower and bought a jade slip handbook of the Pangu Great Universe and a jade slip introduction to the Eternal Ancient Immortal Dao City, then hurried off.

His divine sense landed on the introduction jade slip of the Eternal Ancient Immortal Dao City, and Ding Huan quickly found that Ancient Dao Immortal Fortune was in the Beicheng district.

Ding Huan didn't dare waste a single moment. He rushed to the Beicheng district at top speed, and the moment he entered, he saw the enormous signboard of Ancient Dao Immortal Fortune.

A lot of people were lined up outside Ancient Dao Immortal Fortune, but those coming out were just as many and just as fast.

This showed one thing: there were many applicants, but very few were hired by Ancient Dao Immortal Fortune.

Ding Huan queued up at the back of the line.

The line was long, but it moved fast — meaning people were being eliminated quickly.

In a short while, another full line had formed behind Ding Huan.

In just half a shichen, it was Ding Huan's turn.

The one conducting the interview was a brown-haired Great Yi Immortal cultivator, who looked expressionless.

Only after Ding Huan walked up to him did he say coldly: "Name, background."

"Zhang San, loose cultivator." Ding Huan answered extremely quickly. He had just swept his divine sense over earlier — for background, all he had to do was report himself as a loose cultivator; no need to say more.

"Go test your divine sense strength and immortal essence strength." As the Great Yi Immortal spoke, he pointed at the testing magic treasure beside Ding Huan.

Ding Huan stood on the magic treasure. The divine sense test required him to thrust his own divine sense into the divine sense testing ring.

This divine sense testing ring had nine layers in total; the more layers penetrated, the stronger the divine sense.

Ding Huan had swept his divine sense over earlier — the most any of the previous testers had reached was only the third layer.

But likewise, none of those people had been hired.

So Ding Huan wasn't sure which layer he should pierce into to be hired.

The fourth layer was definitely not enough; the fifth layer should work, but it didn't seem entirely safe.

If he pierced into the sixth layer, Ding Huan felt it would be too risky.

He'd pierce into the fifth layer, to the point of just about breaking into the sixth.

Thinking of this, Ding Huan gathered his divine sense and thrust it toward the divine sense testing ring. His divine sense surged like splitting bamboo, and quickly reached the junction between the fifth and sixth layers.

This position should be enough. Ding Huan stopped his divine sense from penetrating further.

If he forced his divine sense downward, he could pierce through all nine layers of this testing ring.

That brown-haired Great Yi Immortal hadn't paid any attention to the result of Ding Huan's divine sense test at all; he was just flipping through the previous examination results, seemingly frowning as he compared something.

(Fellow Daoist, good evening. Goose requests monthly ticket support!)