Chapter 108: Advancing to Direct Disciple

At the center of Skull Mountain, Lu Yang held the Myriad Spirits Banner in his hand, meditating and regulating his breath silently amidst a throng of ghosts. The aura of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining was not concealed in the slightest.

Immediately afterward, a beam of brilliant light shone into the [Yama Hall].

The light gathered into a human form, and Daoist Yin Shan walked out from within. His face wore a look of astonishment, his gaze fixed straight on Lu Yang, while secretly calculating karma in the dark.

However, he froze.

Because this time, Lu Yang did not deliberately conceal his own karma anymore. Instead, he actively released most of it, which greatly shocked Perfected One Yin Shan.

“You are… Lu Yang.”

In his calculations, Lu Yang had only joined the sect for a little over ten years, yet his cultivation had already reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. If this could still be understood, then mastering a Great Divine Ability at such a young age was a bit like a fantasy tale. It was absolutely not something an ordinary grassroots disciple could achieve!

After a moment of silence, Perfected One Yin Shan reached the exact same conclusion as in the previous life:

“Dare I ask, Fellow Daoist, which Perfected One of my Saint Sect are you the reincarnation of?”

Lu Yang: “…”

Before Lu Yang could respond, Patriarch Nether Whisper emerged from behind him, sneering, “What Saint Sect Perfected One? This is the successor of my Shaman Ghost Dao.”

“Shaman Ghost Dao?”

Perfected One Yin Shan was startled again upon hearing this. He looked at Patriarch Nether Whisper, calculated for a moment longer, and then revealed a look of surprise. “Nether Whisper? The last Sect Master of the Shaman Ghost Dao?”

“It is the sixth generation, not the last generation!” Patriarch Nether Whisper spoke again, clearly very dissatisfied with the title ‘last generation.’ He said coldly, “My Shaman Ghost Dao has continued for a thousand years and has never broken its inheritance. Lu Yang is the successor of my Shaman Ghost, merely seeking temporary shelter under the Primordial Saint Sect for now!”

“Oh?”

Perfected One Yin Shan was stunned upon hearing this, and then a look of realization appeared in his eyes. If that was the case, then Lu Yang’s rapid progress could be understood.

Bringing skills to seek a master; it was only natural.

Thinking of this, Perfected One Yin Shan glanced at the Protector God Su Nü behind Lu Yang. That was the real reason he didn’t attack the moment he showed up.

An external incarnation with Foundation Establishment cultivation?

Perfected One Yin Shan had a realization in his heart, mistaking Su Nü for the foundation of the Shaman Ghost Dao. In this way, it was not strange for Lu Yang to master a Great Divine Ability so young.

After all, the difficulty of cultivating a Great Divine Ability was limited to the Qi Refining Realm; for a Foundation Establishment Perfected One, it wasn’t that hard. It was normal for Lu Yang to master it at a young age. The only doubt was where this Great Divine Ability came from. However, when Perfected One Yin Shan calculated to the end, he calculated it back to himself.

“You are a member of my Three Rivers Society?”

Looking at Perfected One Yin Shan, whose expression was changing, Lu Yang remained calm and composed.

Among all his Great Divine Abilities, only one could have its karma traced by others, and that was the Twelve Capitals Celestial Fiend Secret Demon Tribulation Light he had learned in this life.

And this Great Divine Ability was a benefit of joining the Three Rivers Society.

So no matter how it was calculated, His background was clear. Not to mention he had signed the contract of the Three Rivers Society, so strictly speaking, he was one of Perfected One Yin Shan’s own people.

As for the other Great Divine Abilities with unclear origins, once he advanced to the position of Direct Disciple and had status and position, revealing them would not arouse suspicion.

For this, he must advance to Direct Disciple as quickly as possible!

Generally speaking, to become a Direct Disciple of the Saint Sect, one must have the support of a Foundation Establishment Perfected One behind them, meaning one had gained the trust of the Saint Sect.

To make it in the world, what mattered was power and background.

Without a background, one was just a small fry, destined to be mere material.

Therefore, Lu Yang had to demonstrate his value and rope in a strong enough backer for himself. And “Successor of the Shaman Ghost Dao” was a very good tiger skin to drape over himself.

“Replying to Senior, that is correct.”

Lu Yang bowed respectfully and said, “It was Senior Sister Feixia who came to invite me to join. I concealed this previously; I ask Senior not to blame me.”

“So that’s how it is…”

Perfected One Yin Shan looked at Lu Yang with a strange expression. “You could have continued to hide. Why did you actively expose yourself? Do you want to reopen the Shaman Ghost Dao?”

He didn’t doubt Lu Yang’s identity. After all, Patriarch Nether Whisper’s karma was crystal clear. The last Sect Master of the Shaman Ghost Dao had actively admitted Lu Yang’s identity as the “Successor of the Shaman Ghost Dao,” so how could it be fake? It couldn’t be that Lu Yang, a Qi Refining cultivator, had even deceived Patriarch Nether Whisper, right?

“Senior has misunderstood.”

Lu Yang shook his head decisively. “I am a disciple of the Saint Sect. Although I obtained the inheritance of the Shaman Ghost Dao, my heart lies with the Saint Sect, and I have absolutely no intention of setting up a separate mountain gate.”

“Actually, I wish to offer the Shaman Ghost Dao lineage to the Saint Sect.”

“…Oh?”

Perfected One Yin Shan looked at Patriarch Nether Whisper upon hearing this. Seeing that he had no reaction to this, he became even more amazed in his heart, unaware that Lu Yang had already briefed him.

After a thousand years, Patriarch Nether Whisper had long recognized reality.

The key lay in the continuation of the sect and whether the inheritance existed. As long as the inheritance remained, seeking shelter under a larger sect and paying a small price was only natural.

“Interesting…”

Perfected One Yin Shan also reacted at this moment, looking at Lu Yang with a faint smile. “You want to use the Shaman Ghost Dao inheritance as your stepping stone for promotion?”

“Is that not allowed?” Lu Yang asked in return.

“Hahaha! It is allowed, of course it is allowed!”

In the next second, Perfected One Yin Shan laughed loudly. His previous doubts vanished completely, and his gaze towards Lu Yang was full of appreciation. “Worthy of being a disciple of my Saint Sect!”

Under the rule of the Saint Sect, they didn’t look at merit, didn’t look at reincarnation, didn’t look at background—they only looked at your value!

If your value was high enough, never mind being a successor of the Shaman Ghost Dao, even if you were a successor of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, they could still accept you. The Saint Sect never cared!

Thinking of this, Perfected One Yin Shan already understood Lu Yang’s request. “You want the position of Direct Disciple?”

Lu Yang cupped his hands. “Perfected One sees clearly.”

“I agree to this matter.”

Perfected One Yin Shan smiled. “You are offering the Shaman Ghost Dao inheritance to the Saint Sect, which is a great merit. I can recommend you to the higher-ups and give you a quota for a Direct Disciple.”

At this moment, the way Perfected One Yin Shan looked at Lu Yang had changed. If he was looking at a stranger before, now, knowing that Lu Yang had joined the Three Rivers Society and signed a spiritual contract, he practically regarded Lu Yang as his own junior, believing this was a talent worth cultivating vigorously.

Just as well. Senior Brother Chong Guang and I set a time to go to that place in eighty years…

Although Perfected One Yin Shan preferred Luo Wuya, charging at Foundation Establishment was a life-or-death struggle, and no one knew the outcome. So he also wanted to find some backup candidates.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Lu Yang clearly had more hope than Luo Wuya.

“Many thanks, Senior!”

Lu Yang also revealed a smile upon seeing this, bowing in thanks while breathing a sigh of relief in his heart. In this way, he could be considered to have some status in the Saint Sect.

Of course, this status was currently like a castle in the air.

After all, his position as a Direct Disciple was “parachuted in”; it was nominal. To truly gain the Saint Sect’s trust, he would inevitably have to undergo a long probation period.

But it doesn’t matter.

After all, the one thing I don’t lack is time!

Saint Sect, Center of the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.

This place was named “Sacred Fire Cliff.” It was the place of seclusion for the Sect Master and the various Perfected Lords. The only Perfected One permitted to enter this place was the current Acting Sect Master.

Perfected One Chong Guang.

At this moment, this heroic and spirited Perfected One was waiting solemnly in front of a quiet room, silently calculating the days in his heart.

It’s about time…

After an unknown amount of time, Perfected One Chong Guang finally raised his head. Almost simultaneously, a soft sound came from the quiet room in front of him, and a graceful figure pushed the door open and walked out.

“Greetings, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue!”

Perfected One Chong Guang didn’t say another word and bowed directly until a soft voice came: “Rise. No need for excessive courtesy. How has Chong Guang’s cultivation been recently?”

“Slight progress.”

Perfected One Chong Guang remained bowed and said solemnly, “A few days ago, I mastered the final [Furnace Crucible Fire]. My Dao path is complete, lacking only the ascent to the position.”

“You mastered the [Furnace Crucible Fire]?”

Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue revealed a look of joy upon hearing this. “This Earthly Fiend belongs to the position of [Dahuangluo]. In this way, your Dao path has gathered [E’feng], [Zhixu], [Ximeng], and [Dahuangluo]. With the four medicines complete, the position of [Overturned Lamp Flame] should be within easy reach.”

“When do you plan to ascend to the position?”

“It will still take time.” Perfected One Chong Guang shook his head. “Hong Yun is not dead, and he also has a Perfected Lord supporting him from behind. Rashly ascending to the position would likely be difficult to succeed.”

“Therefore, I plan to go to ‘that place’.”

“Oh?” Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “With your cultivation, although you can barely go, you will also need a few helpers.”

“I already have candidates.” Perfected One Chong Guang nodded.

Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue didn’t ask further upon hearing this, nodding her head. “I am always at ease when you handle things… However, my coming out of seclusion this time is for the Dao Seizing War.”

“Dao Seizing War? So soon?” Perfected One Chong Guang was stunned.

Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue shook her head. “The Great Tribulation of the Millennium is approaching, and the heavenly stars are in disorder. This is also to be expected. Go and inform the Saint Sect to summon the Direct Disciples.”

“…Yes!”

Perfected One Chong Guang nodded, but a trace of worry appeared on his face.

If it were a dozen years ago, he wouldn’t be worried, because at that time, Perfected One Yin Shan hadn’t broken through to Foundation Establishment yet and was enough to suppress the Qi Refining disciples of all the other Dao lineages.

But now, Perfected One Yin Shan had already reached Foundation Establishment.

Although apart from Perfected One Yin Shan, there were also some dazzling figures among the Direct Disciples, most of them needed to be stationed in various places in Jiangbei and could not be moved lightly.

And among the Direct Disciples who could be mobilized, there was a lack of an existence dazzling enough to determine the outcome.

Presumably, other Dao lineages had also seen this point, which was why they started another Dao Seizing War in such a short time—precisely to suppress the Saint Sect’s prestige.

“It seems this time, the Saint Sect might have to suffer a bit of a loss…”

Thinking of this, Perfected One Chong Guang couldn’t help but sigh.

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