Chapter 373: Invitation

Regarding the question Ji Liuyun wanted to ask, Yunhe already had some guesses in his heart, more or less.

Fellow Daoist Ji, just speak freely.

How did Fellow Daoist Xiao Wuxian die? Do you know who did it? Ji Liuyun asked tentatively.

Indeed.

Yunhe secretly thought, his face showing a hint of doubt, then immediately put on a stern expression and spoke in a deep voice.

What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Ji?

Seeing Yunhe's displeased expression, Ji Liuyun hurriedly explained:

Fellow Daoist Yun, don't misunderstand; it's just that after Huangquan Laozi left seclusion, he once asked Ziyi Zhenjun, who only said that at the time a Fourth Level Mid Stage Abyssal Clan cultivator pursued and killed Fellow Daoist Wei and Fellow Daoist Xiao. Moreover, someone also saw that Fellow Daoist Yun, you fled in the same direction.

Although I have some means, Fellow Daoist Ji, you wouldn't think I could oppose a Fourth Level Mid Stage Abyssal Clan, would you? Yunhe retorted.

Ji Liuyun also knew that his question was very sensitive, and it might easily make Yunhe a great enemy.

However, the Huangquan Laozi of Fengdu City is notorious for acting on whim, ruthless in slaughter, and might very well vent his resentment onto you, Fellow Daoist. Ji Liuyun's face grew somewhat solemn.

Oh?

Ji Liuyun also did not immediately give a definite answer, merely saying:

Fellow Daoist Yun, do not underestimate yourself; how could your ability compare to that of an ordinary Yuan Ying Early Stage cultivator? At least I, Ji, admit I am far inferior to you.

Upon hearing that, Yunhe startled, "But what about the one who claims to know the past five hundred years and foresee the next five hundred, 'Sheng Banzi'?"

Apart from the "Heavenly Corpse Gu", there is no person or thing that can prove that Wei Haiyuan and Xiao Wuxian died at Yunhe's hands.

"'Hundred Dawn Scholar' is the honorific title of each generation's leader of the Hundred Dawn Pavilion."

Upon hearing that, Yunhe showed a look of sudden realization.

Pausing, he continued:

Seeing Yunhe's doubt, Ji Liuyun smiled again and asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you know 'Sheng Banzi'?"

And the "Heavenly Corpse Gu" has a cooperation with him, and will not divulge this matter.

But the problem is.

I want to kill, so I kill; what can be done?

Ji Liuyun accompanied with a smile: "Naturally, I am in accord with Fellow Daoist. In fact, most people would not focus their gaze on Fellow Daoist. However,"

Therefore, if Huangquan Laozi truly takes out his anger on Yunhe, there really isn't much to say.

"How?"

The Hundred Dawn Pavilion is the largest intelligence force in the eastern realm; there are not few Yuan Ying cultivators within it, yet there are no Yuan Ying Late Stage cultivators—how could they possibly be so bold against Huangquan Laozi?

After understanding the situation, Yunhe bowed to Ji Liuyun.

These words also made Yunhe involuntarily furrow his brow.

"Exactly." Ji Liuyun's face showed a hint of self-satisfaction, "This 'Sheng Banzi' once was the Hundred Dawn Scholar of our Hundred Dawn Pavilion."

Yunhe glanced at him, pondered a moment, then spoke again: "If Huangquan Laozi truly takes out his anger on me, can the Hundred Dawn Pavilion still help me, a mere Yuan Ying Early Stage cultivator, oppose a Yuan Ying Late Stage Great cultivator?"

As for the Hundred Dawn Pavilion, although he doesn't claim to know much about it, he isn't completely ignorant either.

This time Ji Liuyun didn't beat around the bush, but directly said: "I don't know, Fellow Daoist Yun, would you be willing to serve as a Guest Elder of our Hundred Dawn Pavilion?"

"As for your question, our Hundred Dawn Pavilion naturally does not wish to be enemies with Huangquan Laozi; moreover, Fellow Daoist, you are not originally his enemy, merely possibly becoming the target of his displaced anger."

"We also know your identity, that of the Supreme Elder of the Wu Kingdom Ice Immortal Pavilion; however, our Hundred Dawn Pavilion belongs to no faction and does not partake in disputes, thus we do not restrict the identity of 'Guest Elder' within our Hundred Dawn Pavilion."

"Just so, our Hundred Dawn Pavilion, even before Yuan Ying Late Stage cultivators, still retains a modicum of prestige."

So it turns out that waiting for him here earlier was merely laying groundwork.

However, anyone with a bit of insight would understand that the Fourth Level Mid Stage Abyssal Clan's pursuit has nothing to do with Yunhe, a Yuan Ying Early Stage cultivator busy fleeing.

Wei Haiyuan and Xiao Wuxian undoubtedly died at the hands of that Fourth Level Mid Stage Abyssal Clan cultivator.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for the reminder."

However, from the fact that rankings on those lists constantly change, it's easy to see that this "Sheng Banzi" is extraordinarily capable.

Seeing his confident demeanor, Yunhe was somewhat surprised.

In fact, even if it were spoken aloud, nobody would believe that the "Heavenly Corpse Gu", which closely cooperates with the Abyssal Clan and is not of our kind, would say such a thing.

Initially, his spirit insects had just completed metamorphosis; the ranking on the "Spirit Insect List" changed accordingly. For such ability, Yunhe could only attribute it to this "Sheng Banzi" being highly skilled in divination; otherwise, he must certainly be a person from the upper realms.

In the cultivation world, must an eccentric Yuan Ying cultivator necessarily pay attention to evidence when doing things?

No, not needed!

The stronger a cultivator's strength, the less they need so-called "evidence".

Otherwise, even a Yuan Ying Late Stage cultivator, Yunhe would not believe they possess such ability.

Ji Liuyun saw Yunhe's expression of realization and gave an embarrassed laugh, explaining:

But although the situation at that time was chaotic, many still witnessed this scene, and this fact cannot be avoided.

Ji Liuyun waved his hands repeatedly, "To be frank, I feel ashamed asking this way, but it's also because I have a request."

But it cannot be denied that Ji Liuyun's words are quite reasonable.

This question directly gets to the heart of the matter.

Isn't this the madman who compiles those many "rankings"?

As for this person, Yunhe's knowledge is limited to those rankings.

This indeed is a problem.

And Yunhe caught the key point in his words.

"Once?"

"Indeed, Senior Sheng Banzi once served as the Hundred Dawn Scholar of our Hundred Dawn Pavilion, already possessing top-tier Yuan Ying Late Stage cultivation, merely stepping down from the Hundred Dawn Scholar post to seek a breakthrough opportunity."

"A breakthrough opportunity?"

Yunhe's heart stirred slightly.

Since he is already a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, to advance further would be to achieve God Transformation!

The Hundred Dawn Pavilion's former "Bai Xiaosheng" actually had the possibility of attempting to break through to God Transformation?

This undoubtedly stirred Yunhe's heart quite deeply.

He hesitated a moment, then asked: "Then this Senior Sheng Banzi he"

Ji Li Yun shook his head helplessly, "No one knows the final outcome, and Senior Sheng Banzi has already left our Hundred Dawn Pavilion for eight hundred years."

Eight hundred years.

Yunhe smacked his lips.

Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators have a lifespan of a thousand years; like Mu Ya Zi, those who cultivate lifespan-extending methods might live a few hundred years more, but eight hundred years is too long.

Even if Sheng Banzi had extraordinary talent and achieved Nascent Soul at two hundred years old, by the time he reached late-stage Nascent Soul he would be at least four or five hundred years old, and after disappearing for eight hundred years, he is probably...

'Wait.'

Yunhe suddenly thought, if the other party had already passed away, why would those rankings on his person still continue to change?

Doesn't this mean that Sheng Banzi might not have passed away?

Has this person successfully broken through to God Transformation?!

But if he had succeeded in breaking through, why hasn't he appeared?

Even the people of the Hundred Dawn Pavilion are unaware of his current situation.

Regarding this person, Yunhe felt great curiosity; he was also quite curious about his current situation and why he could timely change the ability of many rankings.

"It seems fellow Daoist also understands some of the key points."

Ji Li Yun observed Yunhe's changing expression, realizing he had grasped the key and reason, so he continued: "Therefore, although our Hundred Dawn Pavilion does not contend, many forces are on good terms with us, not merely because of our Hundred Dawn Pavilion's information; even before a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, our Hundred Dawn Pavilion still has some face and confidence."

If Yunhe truly is an enemy of the Yellow Spring Old Ancestor, then the Hundred Dawn Pavilion could not possibly take the risk to recruit him.

But if there is only a possibility of incurring wrath, then the Hundred Dawn Pavilion would have no concerns.

"This battle between humanity and the alien races is both danger and opportunity; fellow Daoist's magical power is profound, yet you lack a foundation. If you are willing to serve as a guest elder of our Hundred Dawn Pavilion, you need not leave the Ice Immortal Pavilion, and our Hundred Dawn Pavilion will certainly strive to secure the greatest benefits for each of your gains and contributions."

"What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

Put into words, this means that although Yunhe is an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, his backing is only the Ice Immortal Pavilion, which was once merely a Golden Core sect; in the eyes of other Nascent Soul cultivators, this is no different from being a rogue cultivator.

In ordinary times, rogue Nascent Soul cultivators are more feared than sect Nascent Soul cultivators.

Because sect Nascent Soul cultivators always have rear worries, while rogue cultivators act without scruples, making people even more reluctant to provoke them.

But as the "Human Cultivator Alliance" gradually takes shape, it will inevitably become the object of contention among all forces; for someone like Yunhe, who has no backing, to strive for a share of benefit among many Nascent Soul cultivators is likely difficult.

But if he joins the Hundred Dawn Pavilion, having the Hundred Dawn Pavilion as a backer will make many things much easier.

This time, his contribution can be exchanged for a full four bottles of "Twilight Elixir," which is the best proof.

Yunhe naturally understood the implication of Ji Li Yun's words, and he asked:

"Then I don't know, what responsibilities does this so-called guest elder entail?"

Since one wants to gain benefits, one must necessarily give something in return.

Ji Li Yun smiled and said: "Our Hundred Dawn Pavilion is not like a sect; management is lax, and moreover, fellow Daoist is a Nascent Soul cultivator, so it is naturally impossible to compel fellow Daoist to do anything; we only need fellow Daoist to provide some help at key moments."

"'Some help' might truly be just a trivial effort, but it could also mean risking one's life in a desperate struggle."

Regarding Ji Li Yun's not speaking definitively, Yunhe did not press further; this is all a matter of mutual understanding.

"This matter is not trivial for me; I cannot possibly give an answer to fellow Daoist right away; please allow me some days to consider, how about that?"

Yunhe also could not give an answer at present.

"That is only proper."

And Ji Li Yun also expressed understanding, he inquired:

"For whatever fellow Daoist needs, I, Ji, will apply for it immediately, but it will also likely take some time; how about we set this as the deadline?"

"Good."

This time Yunhe did not refuse.

Ji Li Yun immediately had someone arrange lodging for Yunhe.

In this Enlightened Spirit City, the Hundred Dawn Pavilion's accommodations are absolutely far better than some rented cave dwellings.

Regarding this, Yunhe likewise did not refuse.

Following the Hundred Dawn Pavilion's attendant, Yunhe arrived at a secluded residence behind that tall building of the Hundred Dawn Pavilion.

The spiritual energy here is not ordinary, and being within the Hundred Dawn Pavilion's territory, safety is assured, yet Yunhe still habitually laid down some formations.

In the cultivation chamber at the innermost part of the residence, Yunhe took out the congealed fat ice-clear lotus, sat cross-legged, and without wasting time began cultivating, his magical power circulating in a grand heavenly circuit within his body.

At the same time, he was also weighing the pros and cons of becoming a guest elder of the Hundred Dawn Pavilion.

He had to admit that, compared to other forces, the Hundred Dawn Pavilion is indeed the most "leisurely" force.

But no matter what, once he chooses to join, even if only as a guest elder, it signifies that he will inevitably become involved in some disputes originally unrelated to him.

However, for him, if he joins the Hundred Dawn Pavilion, then in the future he will no longer need to overly worry about information-related matters.

For example,

The fourth-level demon beast essence blood he needs might be obtainable through the Hundred Dawn Pavilion's channels, and at worst he could also get the locations of some demon beasts via those channels.

Besides that, he could also learn through the Hundred Dawn Pavilion's channels about various things he needs, such as pill formulas, formation manuals, and so on.

After repeated consideration, Yunhe made a decision in his heart.

————

PS: Because it's year-end, the family was busy making New Year's liquor from morning until around ten at night before finally finishing up; I really couldn't free myself, so my typing time was too irregular, but this chapter counts as yesterday's; tomorrow, aside from going out to drink the New Year's liquor, there should be nothing else, I'll try to type more words, sorry, I bow.

(End of chapter)