Chapter 464

463. Chapter 458: An Unexpected Invitation

Ji Changsi chuckled awkwardly: "That's true."

He truly didn't want to leave this place—watching Dafanxian Sect's sect points skyrocket was a glory Dafanxian Sect hadn't seen in decades.

Maybe not many have noticed Dafanxian Sect yet, but once it breaks into the top hundred, hehe…

Which sect master wouldn't call him Brother Ji?

"Master, I need you to help me: quietly send my companion Yi Jinxī to the Immortal Court. Once she enters the Immortal Court, you can return."

"Don't worry—I'll give you a surprise after the Sect Rankings Tournament," Ding Huan said solemnly.

Ji Changsi gritted his teeth: "Fine, I'll send her off right now."

He had no choice but to agree.

From Ban Ting Xiancheng, take the teleportation array to Genggu Xiandao City, then transfer again…

Ji Changsi carefully weighed the route—if he moved quickly, he could return to Ban Ting Xiancheng in no more than a month.

"Thank you so much, Master," Ding Huan quickly bowed.

He couldn't let Rong Xiyu stay here any longer—if that monk came searching, would he intervene?

If he intervened, he lacked the power; if he didn't, his Dao vein had been given to him by Rong Xiyu.

Having received her grace, he could never stand by and watch her killed.

Returning with Ji Changsi to the sect's encampment, Ding Huan opened the room.

Rong Xiyu, who had stayed inside for days, finally emerged—she was noticeably weaker than before.

"Brother Ding, has today's duel ended?" Rong Xiyu asked.

Ding Huan shook his head: "Sister Rong, the sect's labor peak incident was discovered by a monk—he's coming here…"

Rong Xiyu's expression changed instantly.

She had felt the Dao vein's aura—any powerful cultivator who sensed it would never let it go.

Ding Huan waved his hand: "Don't worry—I've asked Ji Changsi, Master of Dafanxian Sect, to send you to the Immortal Court."

"Remember: once you arrive, immediately send a message to Helian Aodong—she's my friend. Here's her communication bead…"

Ding Huan handed Rong Xiyu a communication bead and two jade slips: "One jade slip is for Helian Aodong, the other for Brother Pingwei."

"What about you?" Rong Xiyu asked urgently.

"I'll be fine—you know my abilities. Unless an Immortal Emperor comes, I can walk away easily. That fat monk isn't even an Immortal Emperor yet—don't worry about me."

Rong Xiyu knew Ding Huan's capabilities; hearing this, she finally exhaled in relief.

After exchanging communication beads, Rong Xiyu left Ban Ting Xiancheng with Ji Changsi.

Ji Changsi was cunning—he didn't ask, but he could guess why Ding Huan was in such a hurry to send Rong Xiyu away.

But it didn't concern him—Dafanxian Sect had merely invited Ding Huan temporarily to compete in the Sect Rankings Tournament; they were merely allies.

Ding Huan returned to the dueling arena.

After three rounds, future duels might occur multiple times per day.

Indeed, as soon as daylight ended and the Mingguang Array activated, the third round concluded.

After Ji Changsi left, all duties for the Sect Rankings Tournament were handed to Ming Mu.

Ming Mu was in good spirits—Yan Sha and Ding Huan had both passed the third round.

Four hours later, Ding Huan entered the fourth round.

His opponent this time was another woman—he used four slashes to force her out of Dueling Platform Two, advancing to the fifth round.

To Ding Huan's surprise, Yan Sha had also passed the fourth round and advanced to the fifth.

By the fourth round, opponents grew significantly stronger—Yan Sha making it through showed real talent.

He was different—his current strength meant he feared no Great Yi Immortal. So for him, whether an Xuan Immortal was strong or weak made little difference.

Before the fifth round began, Ding Huan's spiritual sense detected the fat monk arriving at Ban Ting's Sect Rankings arena.

His spiritual sense roamed wildly, clearly sensing for any familiar Dao rhythm.

Ding Huan smirked inwardly—if Rong Xiyu were still here, he might detect her.

But now that she was gone, even the sharpest nose couldn't sense a trace of familiar Dao rhythm from him.

Ding Huan didn't need to probe—he could tell from the monk's Dao rhythm fluctuations that his guess was correct: the monk wasn't an Immortal Emperor, but nearing full Immortal King.

Someone like that, sensing a Dao vein, would light up with greed and fight to the death to seize it.

"Hello, I'm Luo Binghe," a woman suddenly walked up beside Ding Huan.

Ding Huan had been observing the fat monk and hadn't noticed the female cultivator approaching.

He retracted his spiritual sense, looked at Luo Binghe standing before him, studied her briefly, then said: "You were eliminated by me in the second round."

Luo Binghe's eyes flickered with embarrassment, her cheeks flushing slightly.

When Ding Huan eliminated her, she had been furious.

She believed her ability could carry her to the sixth or even seventh round.

Instead, she was eliminated in the second round—she even wondered if she hadn't insisted on turning her opponent into a eunuch, she might not have lost so easily.

Since then, she'd closely watched Ding Huan's duels; after observing his third and fourth rounds, she finally understood.

He didn't defeat her in twenty moves because she could last twenty moves—he gave her twenty moves.

With Ding Huan's strength, even if her power were one level higher, she still couldn't match him.

She knew Wan Jinjiang of Chiyang Sect too well—he could defeat her effortlessly. Yet such a person was eliminated by Ding Huan without even landing a single strike.

"You're not a formal disciple of Dafanxian Sect, are you? You're competing for them in the Sect Rankings Tournament?" Luo Binghe continued.

Compared to Ding Huan, the only advantage Luo Binghe had was age.

Though Luo Binghe was much older than Ding Huan, as a core disciple, she spent most of her time in seclusion within her sect.

Occasionally going out for trials, they did so in groups of disciples, or rather within safe secret realms.

For disciples of an immortal sect like them to travel outside, no one would dare offend or scheme against such a core disciple of a six-star immortal sect, unless they were blind.

Thus, in experience, reading expressions, and probing inner thoughts, Luo Binghe and Ding Huan were far behind.

From her expression and a single sentence, Ding Huan guessed that this woman had been sent by the Zongzhu Sect of their immortal sect.

"Elder Brother Liu, our Zongzhu says that if you're willing to join our Yihai Palace, you'll become its first core senior disciple.

You may use any resources of our sect, and our sect's Zongzhu can even take you as his personal disciple."

Luo Binghe clearly had no experience and couldn't suppress her thoughts; before even becoming familiar, she had already revealed her hand.

Ding Huan smiled: "Sorry, I'm quite content as I am, so I have no intention of joining another immortal sect."

"Our Yihai Palace is full of beautiful women, all very enthusiastic…"

After saying this, Luo Binghe nearly crawled into the ground.

Before fighting Ding Huan, she had seen his indulgent, debauched appearance and gritted her teeth in hatred.

She had even wanted to cut off that part of him, to prevent Ding Huan from corrupting virtuous women.

Now she stood before Ding Huan like a madam, uttering words that made her own skin crawl.

But she had to say them, because the Zongzhu ordered her to deliver these exact words.

Ding Huan frowned slightly; his divine sense had already scanned the Zongzhu of Yihai Palace, Chi Feitao.

This guy radiated a distinctly effeminate aura—he was no good.

Ding Huan was certain this fellow wanted him to join Yihai Palace for reasons other than his strength—one hundred percent, there was another motive.

After only four rounds of combat, thousands had passed the trials—why single him out?

Ding Huan began to ponder what exactly the other party valued in him.

In the first four rounds of combat, he had easily defeated his opponents—his true abilities had never been revealed…

No, Ding Huan remembered—in the third round of combat, that bearded youth.

He seemed to be a disciple of Chiyang Immortal Sect; in that match, he too had won with a single strike.

Because he was too lazy to waste time on the arena, he had extended his Starry Sky Domain. The bearded youth tried to suppress him with his own domain, but was instantly shattered by Ding Huan's.

Not only that—the bearded youth had no resistance at all under Ding Huan's domain.

Anyone observant would realize his domain was extremely formidable.

A cultivator's domain being powerful meant his divine sense was exceptionally strong.

Ah, so Chi Feitao wanted him to join Yihai Palace because his divine sense far surpassed peers.

This wasn't about recognizing him as a talent with an exceptionally vast consciousness sea—it was surely to use his divine sense for some purpose.

The other was an Immortal King; he was merely a Xuan Immortal. As long as he didn't want to die, once he understood this, Ding Huan would never join Yihai Palace.

Ding Huan could sense the other's divine sense constantly shifting toward him—though subtle, trying to deceive his divine sense was impossible.

So Ding Huan resolved to show no emotional fluctuation the other could detect.

Seeing Ding Huan remain silent, Luo Binghe continued:

"Our Zongzhu says he wants to take you as his disciple because he intends to send you into the Nine Heavens…"

The Zongzhu had told her that if the other refused, she must say this line.

Luo Binghe's words struck like a bomb, leaving Ding Huan's mind reeling.

How did they know he was searching for the Nine Heavens? Could it be they weren't drawn to his divine sense, but knew he came from the shattered world that had split off from the original Nine Heavens?

That was impossible—he had never revealed his origins.

Fortunately, Ding Huan cultivated the Great Cosmos Art and had prepared in advance; though his heart trembled, his Dao rhythm showed not the slightest ripple.

At that moment, a voice whispered into Ding Huan's ear: "Young Brother Liu, I am Chi Feitao of Yihai Palace. The words I had Binghe deliver to you are true.

You've surely heard of the Nine Heavens—it is a true Dao world, with rules superior and more complete than the Pangu Great World. I accidentally discovered the location of the Nine Heavens' entrance…"

Chi Feitao couldn't help but whisper to Ding Huan; he had been observing Ding Huan's expressions and Dao rhythm all along.

No matter what Luo Binghe said, Ding Huan remained utterly unmoved—even the Nine Heavens failed to stir him. This left Chi Feitao no choice but to intervene himself.

In fact, ever since Ding Huan defeated Luo Binghe, he had fixated on him.

A man indulging in debauchery could never have defeated Luo Binghe.

When entering the combat arena, he had trailed behind Ding Huan and tested him with the Pure Yang Mirror.

During the queue, Ding Huan had indeed sensed strong probing—but such scrutiny was normal in line, so he paid it no mind.

Chi Feitao's Pure Yang Mirror failed to detect Ding Huan's Dao rhythm, but unexpectedly revealed his immortal qi surging violently—nothing like a debauched man.

Then he watched Ding Huan's third and fourth matches. After the third match, he even recalled the ancient masters who had once emerged from the Nine Heavens.

Ding Huan's performance was too similar to theirs.

So, for whatever reason, Ding Huan must be taken.