Chapter 151

"Among the Daoxuan Alliance, in terms of strength, our Grand Void Gate ranks between tenth and fifteenth place!"

The white-haired elder kneeling on the ground glared fiercely, his eyes flickering with red light, and said: "Yet within the entire Daoxuan Alliance—including the Ice Pole Immortal Sect—no one dares lay a finger on our Grand Void Gate!"

"Why is that?"

"Isn't it because you, Grand Master, are the number one under heaven, unmatched by anyone?"

"I am your eldest disciple!" Wuwei's voice rose higher, as if arguing with the Grand Void Master: "I've followed you the longest and listened to your teachings the most!"

"My junior brothers and sisters don't understand your terror—but I do!"

"You often say your disciples are greedy!" Wuwei lifted his head, then rose to his feet: "But Master, in this world, who among us isn't greedy?"

"The Dao of Heaven diminishes the excess to supplement the deficient!"

"The Dao of Man diminishes the deficient to serve the excess!"

"We cultivators have always battled heaven for survival, nine deaths and one life—if we lacked a greedy heart, if everyone were indifferent to fame and gain, how could so many Nascent Souls and Golden Cores ever arise in this world?"

"For all these years, I've served you with utmost caution—yet even now, will you still not pass down the Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture?"

"If you think me foolish, you can pass it to the second, third, fourth son..."

"Now you've set up this thing—a mere Qi Refining insect—do you really think he can secure the safety of our Grand Void Gate?"

As he spoke, Wuwei pointed angrily at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng jumped in shock: Holy shit, what does this have to do with me?

The Grand Void Ancestor kept staring at his eldest disciple.

Calmly.

No anger. No disappointment. No other emotion whatsoever.

He was calm—terrifyingly so.

Wuwei finished speaking.

The air froze.

After more than a dozen breaths, the Grand Void Master spoke in a hoarse voice: "Finished?"

"I understand."

"Jianzhu is after my treasures—you're after the Great Mystery Scripture!"

"Your disciple is guilty!" Wuwei said: "I speak only for the eternal future of our Grand Void Gate—if you pass down the Great Mystery Scripture, I swear by the Heavenly Dao that when my lifespan ends, I too shall pass it on, just as you instructed."

Wuwei spoke humbly, yet his demeanor was arrogant—he stood there, eye to eye with the Grand Void Ancestor.

"Give me your entire Great Mystery Scripture now!" Wuwei's eyes blazed with greed: "I have a thirty percent chance of advancing to Nascent Soul!"

"Dad... thirty percent isn't low!"

"Who in this world can guarantee they'll reach Nascent Soul?"

He Pingsheng jumped again: Holy shit... now Master is calling him Dad?

Could this guy actually be the Ancestor's biological son?

Heaven... maybe he really is.

If he weren't a true son, how could he be so brazen?

The Grand Void Ancestor took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly: "This scripture—you cannot cultivate it!"

Wuwei flew into a rage: "You couldn't cultivate it either—yet you still mastered it!"

As he spoke, he jabbed his finger fiercely at He Pingsheng: "You've got the medicinal catalyst now—why can't I cultivate it?"

"Dad... pass it to me!"

"Please, pass it to me!"

Wuwei rushed to the Grand Void Ancestor's feet, clutching his legs: "Father, rest assured—give me the Great Mystery Scripture, and I'll find you a disciple with peerless talent to possess!"

"Don't you want to live another thousand years? Ten thousand years?"

The Grand Void Master's heart churned with anger; he shook his head: "No."

"But I do!" Wuwei's eyes burned with longing: "I'm nearly five hundred years old—I'm running out of lifespan too!"

"Father, please save me!"

The old man gave a slight kick with his leg.

With a crash, Wuwei's massive body was kicked clean out through the door of the Grand Void Hall.

Boom... boom... boom...

The Grand Void Hall's array seals closed one by one.

Inside, He Pingsheng wet himself.

Literally.

The conversation between those two contained too much information.

Information that could kill him.

Holy shit... how did I become the medicinal catalyst?

What exactly is the Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture?

Why would a father rather die than pass it to his son?

And... could he try to possess me?

"Come!" The Grand Void Ancestor stood up: "Accompany me to the back."

"Time is short!"

He Pingsheng felt ice in his veins—he felt *he* was the one running out of time.

"Unreliable... utterly unreliable!" The Grand Void Ancestor returned beneath the giant tree of the spirit herb garden, reclining comfortably on his lounger, eyes closed: "He Xiaozi... tell me, what future does the Grand Void Gate have?"

"Where is its future?"

Long silence from He Pingsheng.

The gaunt old man turned his head, slightly opening his half-closed eyes: "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Ignore that bastard's words—I've had countless chances to possess someone over the years; if I wanted you, I would've taken you long ago!"

"Yes!" He Pingsheng appeared to exhale in relief—but a knot remained in his heart.

"I think," He Pingsheng said, "I don't know what future there is—I can't figure it out."

He wasn't lying—he'd never considered the Grand Void Gate's fate from such a lofty perspective.

Just thinking about Xiuzhu Peak exhausted him—how could I speak of the entire Grand Void Gate?

I simply don't understand.

"Hmph... you can't figure it out? Neither can I!" The Grand Void Ancestor said: "I raised every one of them myself—yet they turned out either ungrateful wolves or utterly useless!"

"The Grand Void Gate's longevity depends on you disciples!"

"Let you lot worry about these matters—I'm done!"

"You look troubled?" The Grand Void Master said: "What's on your mind?"

He Pingsheng bowed: "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of death!" He Pingsheng took a deep breath: "If you don't pass the Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture to him now, one day after you pass away, he'll assume you passed it to me—I can't imagine what will happen to me then!"

"Life spans a hundred years—but worries stretch a thousand!" The Grand Void Ancestor waved his hand: "I have my own arrangements—don't trouble yourself."

"Come here—continue learning the arrays!"

"What is most important in arrays?"

"Forget it!" The Grand Void Master slammed back onto his lounger: "I'm in no mood to teach—let me tell you about the Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture instead."

"Do you know why I won't pass it to him?"

He Pingsheng shook his head.

The Grand Void Master said: "Because he truly cannot cultivate it."

"The Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture is a non-elemental cultivation scripture—outside the Five Phases, neutral and ordinary."

"Ordinary cultivators cannot control such a non-elemental scripture."

He Pingsheng frowned: "A non-elemental scripture—is it meant for those without spirit roots?"

The Grand Void Master shook his head: "No."