Chapter 148: Wang Qi

"The door is over there!"

The Grand Void Ancestor lazily lay back on his chair and pointed toward the exit of the Grand Void Hall.

Yu Ning naturally understood the Ancestor's meaning, bowed, and said: "Disciple takes leave!"

After she took three steps, the Grand Void Ancestor muttered cryptically: "A ruler who is not discreet loses his ministers; a minister who is not discreet loses his life!"

Yu Ning paused, then added: "Disciple understands—today's matter, not a single word shall be leaked!"

With that, she truly turned and left.

"Old Man's tired today!" The Grand Void Ancestor took a deep breath and closed his eyes: "The right-side side hall is yours. You'll cultivate there daily. If you have questions, come ask me anytime!"

"Remember to ask often!"

"Anytime at all—don't be afraid!"

"And one last thing!" The Grand Void Ancestor extended a withered finger: "You are not to leave Grand Void Gate!"

"Not under any circumstances!"

"Understood?"

He Pingsheng pulled his head in and said: "Understood!"

It's strange—why won't the Ancestor let me leave either?

"But…" He Pingsheng tried to argue: "Disciple has hit a bottleneck and cannot break through, so I wish to go out and seek an opportunity!"

"Opportunity, my foot!" The Grand Void Ancestor rose from his chair, blowing his beard: "You didn't hear a word I just said!"

He Pingsheng said: "No… I made a promise to someone—I must go to Black Frontier to find the Red Essence Ginseng!"

The Grand Void Ancestor said: "No. If you die, what's the point of cultivating?"

"If you disobey me, twenty strokes of the cane!"

He Pingsheng walked out of the Grand Void Hall with a dark face.

He wasn't restricted in freedom.

But that freedom was extremely limited—only within Grand Void Gate's grounds.

After leaving the Grand Void Divine Hall, He Pingsheng circled around to the right.

There was a side hall there.

Called a side hall, yet it was vast—much larger than Yu Ning Palace.

He gently pushed, and the door swung open.

Inside stood two female disciples dressed in outer-disciple robes. Seeing He Pingsheng, they dropped to their knees at once: "Greetings, Ancestor…"

Uh…

He Pingsheng rubbed his forehead: "Who are you…?"

"We are disciples assigned to serve you!" one said: "I'm Lü Jiao."

The other woman said: "I'm Yu Tong!"

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over the two women.

Lü Jiao was at Qi Refining Stage Five; Yu Tong had already reached Qi Refining Stage Seven.

This cultivation level startled He Pingsheng.

Stage Seven.

So high—and still doing menial service?

"No," He Pingsheng said: "How do you even know who I am?"

Yu Tong said: "The Supreme Elder told us!"

He Pingsheng was even more baffled.

He'd just become his disciple—the old man hadn't left at all. How did he notify these girls?

Are Nascent Soul cultivators' abilities really this vast?

Impossible to understand.

He Pingsheng looked up at the enormous side hall, nodded, and said: "You two stay here and watch. I'll return to Xiuzhu Peak—I'll move in a few days."

"That won't do!" Lü Jiao said: "The Supreme Elder said you must move in today—and you must move in!"

He Pingsheng said: "Fine, wait for me!"

Whoosh…

He waved his hand and stepped onto his flying sword, soaring away!

Now everyone knows I can fly on a sword—no need to hide it anymore.

…

Grand Void Gate!

Tianyi Peak.

"Has your spiritual sense wound improved?" Jianzhu True Person asked the Daoist nun gently.

If He Pingsheng were here, he'd recognize her immediately—she was none other than Feng Daoist.

"Much better!"

Feng Daoist's face was pale: "But full recovery will take at least half a year."

"That damned He Pingsheng—if I see him again, I'll cut him down!"

"Hmph…" Jianzhu True Person sneered: "Next time you see him, you'll kneel and call him Master Uncle!"

"Yes!" Feng Daoist said: "I know the Ancestor took him as a disciple—but so what?"

"When he leaves, I won't believe I can't…"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh!" Jianzhu True Person raised a finger to her lips: "Keep those thoughts inside!"

"Then according to you, there's no need for me to seek that Heaven-Class scripture?"

She asked Feng Daoist.

Feng Daoist spat bitterly: "That vile little thief is cunning, slippery, and leaves no trace—Master, you must not trust him!"

"I'm certain my brother was killed by him!"

"And Linglong—also him!"

"He even used a supreme-grade magic treasure of evil origin, severely damaging my spiritual sense. Had my cultivation not far surpassed his, he would've killed me then!"

"Furious, furious…"

He Pingsheng did not know that this Feng Daoist was actually Jianzhu True Person's disciple.

"The Palace understands."

Jianzhu took a deep breath: "This man is far from the simple, honest face he shows. Hmph…"

"But your actions were reckless—next time, be more careful!"

…

Beast Taming Sect!

On a certain peak.

Beneath an ancient, gnarled pine tree.

Beneath the tree stood a stone table and two stone seats.

Two men sat upon them.

One was a middle-aged Confucian scholar in flowing white robes, smiling.

Opposite him sat an old man with snow-white hair.

And the old man with snow-white hair addressed the scholar as "Senior Brother."

"Have you confirmed it?" the scholar asked the old man.

The old man shook his head: "No… but in my view, these people are searching for some treasure."

"They've been circling about a thousand li southeast of the secret realm's exit."

The scholar asked: "How many are there now?"

The old man said: "At first, only a few Elders from Grand Void Gate—thought they were up to something strange."

"Now, more and more sects nearby have joined."

"There are already over a dozen Golden Core cultivators there."

"All searching for something."

"Hmm," the scholar said: "These past two days, I've observed that direction—Grand Void Gate's aura has slightly increased."

"What?" The old man shuddered: "Impossible! That old man was dying—how could his aura rise instead of fall?"

"Could your 【Wang Qi】 be faulty?"

"No," the scholar shook his head: "A sect's aura isn't tied to one person alone. Too many things can influence it."

"Don't worry—it's nothing to fear."

"That old man won't last another hundred years."

"Within a century, Grand Void Gate's aura will wither."

"Then we won't need to probe so cautiously."

The middle-aged scholar's eyes shot two sharp beams toward Grand Void Gate.